Heart Emergencies Require Timely Care
3/9/2021
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.
Laredo Medical Center has deep resources ready to support diagnosis and intervention in the event of heart attack or stroke. The hospital is an accredited Chest Pain Center v6, with Primary PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Interventions) from the American College of Cardiology and is certified as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission.
“It is important to embrace a healthy lifestyle and make yourself a priority, especially when it comes to your heart because the sooner we can assess your condition and provide intervention the better,” said Dr. Ricardo Cigarroa, Interventional Cardiologist and Chief of Staff at Laredo Medical Center. “The hospital has the multi-disciplinary team and resources to provide the best quality of care in the event of a heart attack, stroke or other serious complications.”
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. Laredo Medical Center 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.
“Rest assure that Laredo Medical Center continues to provide a safe environment for healing and is taking every important precaution to enhance safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Cigarroa. “Pandemic or no pandemic, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of a heart attack or stroke and get immediate emergency care because every second counts.”
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. To find a doctor, visit https://www.laredomedical.com/find-a-doctor or call 956-796-3223 to be connected with a qualified cardiologist.
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