Chest Pain Awareness
Having Chest Pain & Symptoms? Call 911 – immediately!
Heart attacks have beginnings. These beginnings occur in more than 50% of patients. Most importantly, if recognized in time, these “beginnings” can be treated before the heart is damaged!
Alarming Statistics
- Heart disease causes approximately 1 of 4 deaths in the United States.
- About 50% of sudden cardiac deaths occur outside a hospital. This suggests that many people don’t act on early warning signs.
- Survey results show that only 27% of the respondents were aware of all major symptoms and knew to call 911.
By sharing Early Heart Attack Education (EHAC), we can change these sobering statistics!
Early Signs of a Heart Attack
Early signs and symptoms that can begin hours or days before a heart attack. You may or may not experience any or all of these symptoms. You may experience mild chest symptoms, such as pressure, burning, aching or tightness. These symptoms may come and go until finally becoming constant and severe.
- Nausea
- Pain that travels down one or both arms
- Jaw pain
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Chest pressure, squeezing or discomfort
- Back pain
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling of fullness
- Sleep disturbances including bouts of insomnia or trouble either getting to sleep or staying asleep
- Indigestion
If you one or more of these symptoms, you owe it to yourself to get these symptoms checked out immediately at Fleming County Hospital's Emergency Department.
Early Heart Attack Care Educational Materials:
Having Chest Pain & Symptoms?
Chest Pain Accreditation
Fleming County Hospital received Chest Pain Center accreditation from the American College of Cardiology. We are dedicated to providing our patients with the best heart care treatment available. As an accredited facility, we use the newest methods and best practices in heart care to ensure that our patients receive:
- Right care at the right time to minimize or eliminate heart damage due to heart attack
- Timely and accurate diagnoses to reduce the disruption to your life and get you back home as soon as possible
- Help and communication to better understand how to respond to your heart emergencies
- Improved quality of life after a heart episode
Remember: Call 9-1-1 if you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency.
Calling 9-1-1 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. EMS staff are trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. It is best to call EMS for rapid transport to the emergency room.
Community Health Plan of Care
Objectives and Vision
- To utilize the Fleming County ratings to identify major risk factors in our community.
- Purposefully address 3 top identified risk factors for education.
- To utilize all community venues to educate about risk factors.
Identified Priority Education for Community Risk Factors
- Lack of Physical Activity
- Obesity
- Smoking
Implementation Strategies
Priority #1-Smoking
- Provide stop smoking information on social media.
- Provide written documentation at Community held events on smoking cessation.
- Promote the Great American Smoke Out in November.
Priority #2-Lack of Physical Activity
- To promote and encourage more physical activity among the community.
- To promote the hospital walking track on our social media, local newspaper and within the hospital.
- Promote written education on how to increase your physical activity.
Priority #3-Obesity
- Evaluate offering BMIs at community events.
- Promote Heart Healthy eating and low-calorie meals on social media.
- Investigate promoting nutritional content in the hospital cafeteria.
Partnerships
- Fleming County Health Department
- American Heart Association
- Fleming County Gazette
- Amy Fritz, Registered Dietician for Fleming County Hospital
- Women’s Auxiliary
- Fleming County Activities and Education Center
- Community Organizations (Rotary)
- Community Members
- Patients
Action Steps
- Provide risk factors written education to the community
- Utilize social media such as Facebook to promote low-calorie and heart healthy recipes
- Collaborate with the Women’s Auxiliary and Plant Ops for mileage signs on the walking track
- Promote local activities that help to increase activity
- Promote the hospital dietician to do a low-calorie food cooking demonstration in the hospital lobby
Anticipated Impact
- Show a decrease in the percentage of identified risk factors.
- Prevent the long-term effects of these identified risk factors.
Quarterly Events-Education and Screenings
- First Quarter: Healthy Heart events
- Second Quarter: Social Media education on increased activity
- Third Quarter: Annual Health Fair
- Fourth Quarter: Healthy Heart cooking demonstration in hospital lobby