Level One Heart Attack Program
Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States.
A heart attack occurs when blood flow within a coronary artery becomes blocked. If the flow of blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of muscle supplied by the blocked artery becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die.
St. Paul Heart Clinic recognized early on the opportunity to improve care to patients who present with heart attacks. In 2001, St. Paul Heart Clinic developed one of the first programs in Minnesota to allow for immediate, direct transfer of patients to the cath lab so that blocked coronary arteries could quickly be opened. Today, our Level One Heart Attack Program is designed to assist patients, referring hospitals, clinics and EMS with the early evaluation and early treatment of heart attack symptoms.
Treatment is most effective when started within 1 hour of the beginning of symptoms. St. Paul Heart Clinic led programs consistently rank in the top 10% of all hospitals in the United States.
Heart Attack Warning Signs
- Chest discomfort or pain – uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that can be mild or strong. This discomfort or pain lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
- Upper body discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath may occur with or before chest discomfort.
- Other signs include nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), vomiting, lightheadedness or fainting, or breaking out in a cold sweat.
As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
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