Chest Pain Emergency Center

Chest Pain Emergency Center

Saint Francis Healthcare created the Chest Pain Emergency Center to have a heart team dedicated to the intervention and treatment of heart emergencies. The Center has been recognized for its quality and accredited by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care.

 

Heart Emergencies

Heart emergencies include heart attacks, cardiac arrests, angina attacks or unstable angina. Symptoms of a heart emergency may include:

 

  • Pressure, tightness or squeezing pain or discomfort at the center of the chest that doesn’t go away
  • Pain that radiates down to the left arm or both arms or the neck, jaw, back or stomach
  • Fainting
  • Seizures
  • Difficulty of breathing
  • Rapid or low, undetectable heartbeat
  • Blue or pale tingling of knees, hands or lips
  • Chest pain
  • Breathlessness
  • Nausea
  • Sweating
  • Coughing up blood

 

If you or your loved one experiences these symptoms, go to the nearest heart hospital or call 911.

 

What To Do During Cardiac Emergencies

  • Call 911 for an ambulance, follow up if things worsen
  • If outside, stay with the patient until help arrives
  • Stay calm
  • Ensure scene safety
  • Check for response
  • Check for no breathing. If the patient is not breathing, begin CPR with compressions.
  • When the paramedics arrive, tell them if the patient has taken medications while waiting for them to come.

 

Heart Attack Emergency Treatment

  1. Call an ambulance.
  2. Ask the patient to sit and rest.
  3. Let the patient take one aspirin if they are not allergic.
  4. Stay with the patient until the paramedics arrive.
  5. When the paramedics arrive, tell them that the patient has taken an aspirin.

 

Cardiac Arrest Emergency Treatment

  1. If you’ve phoned an ambulance, the person on the line will guide you to perform chest compressions.
  2. If there’s another person and a defibrillator available, the other person can go collect it.

 

Angina Attack Emergency Treatment

  1. Call 911 or an ambulance.
  2. Ask the patient to sit.
  3. Ensure the patient takes one dose of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) spray or tablet. Then wait for 5 minutes.
  4. If the pain or breathlessness continues, let them take another dose of GTN spray or tablet. Then wait another 5 minutes.
  5. If two doses of GTN spray or tablet doesn’t help, call an ambulance.
  6. Let the patient take an aspirin if they are not allergic.
  7. When the paramedic arrives, tell them what the patient took while waiting for them to come.

 

Preventing Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, but most of these diseases can be prevented by changing lifestyle and medications:

  • Stop smoking
  • Live an active lifestyle
  • Adapt good nutrition habits
  • Talk to your doctor to manage your risk factors.

If you’re worried that you may have an increased risk of developing heart disease, consult one of our cardiologists in Memphis, TN for your cardiac care.

Cardiovascular Services

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