Heart Emergencies Require Timely Care

3/3/2021

Pay attention to the warning signs and don’t let the pandemic stop you

We’ve changed habits and actions to protect our health during the pandemic, but one thing still remains the same – we need to take quick action with a possible heart attack or stroke. Life-threatening blockages and arrhythmias need timely detection and treatment to support the best possible outcome. Waiting to get help can increase the damage to heart muscle or brain tissue.

Navarro Regional Hospital has deep resources ready to support diagnosis and intervention in the event of heart attack or stroke. As an accredited Chest Pain Center by the American College of Cardiology, we are committed to continually evaluate processes and improve quality, as well as educate our community on early heart attack and stroke care. Our heart health program includes cardiac catheterization, angioplasty, angiography, pacemaker implant and much more.

“Our team stands ready to provide prompt treatment; the sooner we can see a patient to assess their condition and intervene, the better,” said Jessica Farley, M.D., cardiologist. “The hospital offers comprehensive cardiology care and has taken important precautions to enhance safety in light of the pandemic. Patients have been delaying coming to the hospital due to concern for COVID 19. If you are having symptoms concerning for a heart attack, please do not delay seeking care to prevent heart damage or worse. ”

Concern for safety during the pandemic has kept many people from seeking medical help and that can get in the way of timely treatment in an emergency. Navarro Regional is actively working to maintain a safe place patients can get medical help whether for a medical emergency or routine care.

The hospital’s precautions include enhanced practices for infection prevention, restricted access to the facility, and furniture arrangement to support social distancing and patient flow. Caregivers practice infection prevention including wearing personal protective equipment and washing hands before and after caring for each patient. Care for any COVID-19 positive patients is in a separate, designated unit.

Farley continued: “Please put your health first. Continue with your regular primary care follow ups and taking your medications on a regular basis. We encourage our patients to always seek immediate emergency medical care for serious conditions such as heart attack or stroke to support the best possible outcome. Always remember to call 911 FIRST.”

Calling 9-1-1 for an ambulance is the best action rather than trying to drive to the hospital yourself when you or someone you are with experiences heart attack or stroke symptoms. EMS crews are trained to care for patients experiencing heart attack and stroke, so you’ll get medical care sooner.

Signs of a possible heart attack can include chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, and/or pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, arm or shoulder. Women also may feel nauseous, light-headed or unusually tired.

Symptoms of a stroke can be remembered with the acronym F-A-S-T:

• Face drooping - Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?
• Arm weakness - Is one arm weak or numb?
• Speech difficulty - Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand?
• Time to call 911 - If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get them to the hospital immediately.

If you need more information on your personal risk factors for heart disease, schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor, or call (903) 872-DOCS to be connected with a cardiologist.

Sources: CDC.gov/heartdisease/heart-attack.htm

Back