What happens if you go to the hospital for a heart attack?

What happens if you go to the hospital for a heart attack?

When you go to the hospital emergency room with signs and symptoms of a heart attack you will can expect the following: You will be placed on the heart monitor so the nurses/doctors can monitor your heart rhythm, you will be placed on oxygen either by mask or by prongs placed in your nose, you will have blood drawn and …

What is emergency treatment for heart attack?

Medications to treat a heart attack might include: Aspirin. The 911 operator might tell you to take aspirin, or emergency medical personnel might give you aspirin immediately. Aspirin reduces blood clotting, thus helping maintain blood flow through a narrowed artery.

How long do people stay in the hospital after having a heart attack?

Typically, you’ll be in the hospital for 2 days to a week after a heart attack. But if you have complications, or if you’ve had other procedures, like bypass surgery, you’ll probably stay longer.

What are the chances of surviving a heart attack in a hospital?

It is a life-threatening medical emergency and the longer this goes on without treatment, the more damage to the heart that can happen. Studies have found that survival rates for people hospitalized for heart attacks are approximately 90%2 to 97%.

How do doctors know if you had a heart attack?

If your doctor thinks you may have had one, he or she may order imaging tests. These could include an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), which is a special ultrasound, or a CT scan or MRI of your heart. These tests can show if your heart muscle has been damaged, signaling that you’ve had a heart attack.

Does an EKG show a heart attack?

An ECG can show evidence of a previous heart attack or one that’s in progress. The patterns on the ECG may indicate which part of your heart has been damaged, as well as the extent of the damage.

Is it normal to be on a ventilator after a heart attack?

Some people stay unconscious after having a cardiac arrest, and need intubation and ventilation with a breathing machine (see Breathing support). The medical staff will try to find out the cause of the cardiac arrest, and provide any necessary treatment.

How long after a heart attack can it be detected?

How long after a heart attack can doctors use the test? Doctors can test for troponin immediately when an individual presents with symptoms. Troponin levels rise as early as 4 hours after a heart attack and peak between 24 and 48 hours.

What is the treatment for a heart attack at the hospital?

Treatment at the hospital for a heart attack now involves angioplasty and stenting.

What are the treatment options for an NSTEMI heart attack?

You might be given an angiography (an imaging technique used to see inside your arteries, veins and heart chambers), possibly followed by an invasive procedure called revascularization to restore blood circulation in your heart. If the hospital determines you had an NSTEMI heart attack, doctors typically use one of two treatment strategies.

Why is a suspected heart attack considered an emergency?

Pre-hospital care in the ambulance for a heart attack “A suspected heart attack is treated as an emergency because of the possible damage to your heart, and the risk of death. Early treatment can save your life and can limit the amount of damage to your heart muscle.” [British Heart Foundation – heart attack leaflet 2014]

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack (myocardial infarction) happens when one or more areas of the heart muscle don’t get enough oxygen. This happens when blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked. Causes of a Heart Attack The blockage is caused by a buildup of plaque in the arteries (atherosclerosis).