Quickly Seek Care in a Medical Emergency

5/20/2020

Hospital Emphasizes Patient Safety and Importance of Timely Care

Laredo Medical Center is stressing the importance and is advising the local community to seek emergency care when needed without delay. If you experience a medical emergency such as chest pain that may be a heart attack or stroke symptoms, getting care timely will support the best possible outcome. As the hospital responds to COVID-19, it is taking extra precautions, going above and beyond all normal efforts, to keep the hospital clean and safe for patients and caregivers.

The latest campaign by the American Heart Association (AHA) – Be Certain In Uncertain Times – reinforces the critical need to secure treatment as soon as possible. The AHA is working to remind everyone that heart attacks, strokes and cardiac arrests don’t stop for COVID-19.

Heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest symptoms are always urgent so call 911 without hesitation. Emergency workers know what to do to protect and care for you.

“If you know you have heart disease, and you develop chest pain or shortness of breath, it is very important to come to the hospital immediately,” said Dr. Luis Pellicia, Medical Director of Emergency Medicine at Laredo Medical Center. “There is nothing that COVID-19 has done to reduce the number of strokes or heart attacks from happening.”

Safety remains Laredo Medical Center’s highest priority and it has taken action to enhance infection prevention, restrict access to the facility and support social distancing to maintain a safe environment for patients who need medical care.

“We are taking extraordinary measures – going above and beyond all of our normal efforts to keep our hospital clean and safe – because if you need healthcare, we want you to feel confident and to know you are protected,” said Enrique Gallegos, CEO of Laredo Medical Center. “We are screening everyone who comes into the hospital by checking for symptoms, conducting temperature checks, providing facemasks and other personal protective equipment to staff and patients, rearranging our environments to enable social distancing, and we have dedicated nurses caring for COVID-19 patients in an area that is separate and isolated from the rest of the hospital. Furthermore, our cleaning staff is disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and doing a terrific job of keeping the hospital clean and sterile.”

Care for any individuals with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 is delivered in a restricted, separate area away from other patients.

Getting fast medical treatment could be the difference between life and death – so Laredo Medical Center officials ask everyone to pay attention to the signs of a health emergency and act quickly. Call 911, come to the hospital, and get the help you need.

Know the Signs and Symptoms

Heart Attack

• Chest discomfort.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body.
• Shortness of breath.
• Other possible signs include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
• Women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain. Some women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

Remember to act F.A.S.T. for Stroke

• 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.

Cardiac Arrest

• Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly.
• Within seconds, a person becomes unresponsive, is not breathing or is only gasping.
• Survival depends on getting immediate CPR.

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.

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