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Early Heart Attack Care (EHAC)

Early Heart Attack Care (EHAC). Heart attacks have beginnings. Course Outline. Anatomy and physiology 101: Your Heart A Heart Attack in Progress Concepts of Early Heart Attack Care Recognition and Intervention Delay and Denial You: The Early Heart Attack Care Giver. Part 1.

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Early Heart Attack Care (EHAC)

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  1. Early Heart Attack Care(EHAC) Heart attacks have beginnings

  2. Course Outline • Anatomy and physiology 101: Your Heart • A Heart Attack in Progress • Concepts of Early Heart Attack Care • Recognition and Intervention • Delay and Denial • You: The Early Heart Attack Care Giver

  3. Part 1 Anatomy and Physiology 101: Your Heart

  4. The Human Heart • Location: Middle of the chest • Size: That of a fist • Purpose: Pumps blood throughout the body • Weight: 7 – 12 ounces • Capacity: Pumps 1,800 gallons of blood & beats over 100,000 times daily

  5. The Human Heart and Coronary Arteries

  6. The Human Heart Electric Pump

  7. Part 2 A Heart Attack in Progress

  8. Heart Attack Facts • #1 Killer of adults • 4,100 Heart attacks every day • 600,000 Heart attack deaths each year • Hundreds of thousands survive but are left with a damaged heart

  9. Three Presentations of a Heart Attack • Sudden, severe pain that stops you in your tracks • Gradual increasing pain with damage occurring over a period of hours • Very early presentation with mild symptoms over hours or days

  10. Coronary Artery Disease

  11. Ischemia & Angina Pectoris

  12. Complete Obstruction: AMI

  13. Part 3 Concepts of Early Heart Attack Care (EHAC)

  14. Are All Heart Attacks Created Equal?

  15. Progress: Heart Attack Treatment • Thrombolytic Therapy (Clot Busters) • Angioplasty • Pre-hospital Cardiac Care • Decrease in hospital time to treatment saved heart muscle improvement in quality of life

  16. Too Little Progress: Heart Attack Recognition • Most heart attack patients do not benefit from optimal medical advances…………………………Why?

  17. Delay • In recognizing and responding to the early warning signs of a heart attack

  18. Why EHAC? • Early Care: Recognize & Respond • Often mild symptoms, usually normal activity • Late Care: Obvious Emergency & Respond • Incapacitating pain, diminished activity • Too Late Care: Critical Emergency & Respond • Unconscious, CPR, defibrillation, probable death • 85% of the heart damage takes place within the first two hours

  19. Part 4 Recognition and Intervention

  20. Non-SpecificHeart Attack Symptoms: Weakness/Fatigue Clammy/Sweating Nausea/Indigestion Dizziness/Nervousness Shortness of Breath Neck/Back/Jaw Pain Feeling of Doom Elbow Pain Specific Heart Attack Symptoms: Chest Discomfort Chest Pressure Chest Ache Chest Burning Chest Fullness Early Symptoms of a Heart Attack

  21. Early Signs of Heart Attack • Present in up to half of heart attacks • Suddenly accelerate preceding the heart attack • Usually appear within 24 hours before the acute attack but can begin two to three weeks before • Duration varies from a few minutes to several hours • Usually intermittent with a pain free period before the onset of acute occlusion

  22. Part 5 Delay and Denial

  23. Why Do We Delay? Denial and Procrastination = Our Heart’s Enemy • It’s nothing really serious (I’ll just rest a bit) • I’m too busy right now (I don’t have time to be sick) • I don’t want to be a problem (If it turns out to be nothing, I’ll be embarrassed by the fuss made) • Paramedics Beware (First responders can easily be swayed by patient rationalizations and denials) • It’s probably heart burn or indigestion (I’ll take something for it) • I’m strong (Just walk it off, grin and bear it) • I’m healthy (I have no serious medical problems… I exercise) • I’ll just wait it out (Everything will be okay)

  24. Part 6 You: The Early Heart Attack Care Giver

  25. What To Ask and Look For • Do you have any chest discomfort? • Is it tightness, pressure, pain in the center of your chest? • Is the discomfort also in your arms or jaw or neck or throat or back? • Are you sick to your stomach? • Is the person sweaty or clammy? • What were you doing when the symptoms started? • Do the symptoms go away with rest? • Are you having any shortness of breath?

  26. Listen to Your Heart and Be A Winner! • Be aware of pressure, not necessarily pain, in your chest • Be aware if it increases with activity and subsides with rest • Don’t try to rationalize it away; be honest with yourself and others • Call 911 or have someone drive you to the nearest emergency room • Don’t go to your doctor’s office or wait for an appointment • EHAC is knowing the subtle danger signs and acting on them before damage occurs

  27. Anyquestions? www.somc.org SafetyQuality Service RelationshipsPerformance

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