Hospital QuickCheck Report™

Heart Attack Patients Given Aspirin at Arrival

Data Collection Period: April 2008 - March 2009

This chart shows the percent of heart attack patients who were given aspirin within 24 hours of arrival at the hospital. Chewing an aspirin as soon as symptoms of a heart attack begin may reduce the severity of the attack. Aspirin helps to keep blood clots from forming and also can dissolve blood clots that can cause heart attacks.
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Heart Attack Patients Given Aspirin at Discharge

Data Collection Period: April 2008 - March 2009

This chart shows the percentage of heart attack patients given instruction to take aspirin regularly. Blood clots can block blood vessels and aspirin can help prevent blood clots from forming or help dissolve blood clots that have formed. Following a heart attack, continued use of aspirin may help reduce the risk of another heart attack. Aspirin can have side effects like stomach inflammation, bleeding, or allergic reactions. Talk to your health care provider before using aspirin on a regular basis to make sure it?s safe for you.
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Heart Attack Patients Given ACE Inhibitor or ARB for Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD)

Data Collection Period: April 2008 - March 2009

This chart shows the percentage of heart attack patients given an ACE inhibitor (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme) or ARBs (Angiotensin Receptor Blockers) for LVSD. ACE inhibitors and ARBs are medications used to treat patients with heart failure and are particularly beneficial in those patients with heart failure and decreased function of the left side of the heart. Early treatment with these kinds of medications in patients who have heart failure symptoms or decreased heart function after a heart attack can also reduce their risk of death from future heart attacks. These two medications work differently and your doctor will decide which drug is most appropriate for you. If you have a heart attack and/or heart failure, you should get a prescription for ACE inhibitors or ARBs if you have decreased heart function before you leave the hospital.
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Heart Attack Patients Given Beta Blocker at Discharge

Data Collection Period: April 2008 - March 2009

This chart shows the percentage of heart attack patients given Beta Blockers at discharge from the hospital. Beta blockers are a medication used to lower blood pressure, treat chest pain (angina) and heart failure, as well as help prevent a heart attack. Beta blockers relieve the stress on your heart by slowing the heart rate and reducing the force with which your heart muscles contract to pump blood. Beta Blockers also help keep blood vessels from constricting in your heart, brain, and body. If you have a heart attack, you should get a prescription for a beta blocker before you leave the hospital.
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Heart Attack Patients Given Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling

Data Collection Period: April 2008 - March 2009

The chart shows the percentage of heart attack patients who smoked prior to coming to the hospital and receive smoking cessation counseling before leaving the hospital. Smoking is linked to heart attacks. Quitting may help prevent another heart attack. Smoking increases your risk for developing blood clots and heart disease that can result in a heart attack, heart failure or stroke. Smoking causes your arteries to thicken and your blood vessels to narrow. Fat and plaque stick to the walls of your arteries, which makes it harder for blood to flow. Reduced blood flow to your heart may result in chest pain, high blood pressure, and an increased heart rate. Smoking is also linked to lung disease and cancer, and can cause premature death. It is important that you get information to help you quit smoking before you leave the hospital. Quitting may help prevent another heart attack.
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Heart Attack Patients Given Fibrinolytic Medication Within 30 Minutes Of Arrival

Data Collection Period: April 2008 - March 2009

This chart shows the percentage of heart attack patients given fibrinolytic medication within 30 minutes of arrival to the hospital. Fibrinolytic drugs are medications that can help dissolve blood clots in blood vessels and improve blood flow to your heart. You should get these medications within 30 minutes of arrival at the hospital.
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Heart Attack Patients Given PCI Within 90 Minutes Of Arrival

Data Collection Period: April 2008 - March 2009

This chart shows the percentage of heart attack patients given PCI within 90 minutes of arrival to the hospital. Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) are procedures that are among the most effective means of opening blocked blood vessels and helping prevent further damage to the heart muscle. PCI procedures are performed by doctors to open the blockage and increase blood flow in blocked blood vessels. The faster blood flow to your heart is restored the potential exists to lessens the damage to your heart muscle. It also can increase your chances of surviving a heart attack.
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1. The number of cases is too small (n < 25) for purposes of reliably predicting hospital's performance.
2. Measure reflects the hospital's indication that its submission was based on a sample of its relevant discharges.
3. Rate reflects fewer than the maximum possible quarters of data for the measure.
4. Inacurate information submitted and suppressed for one or more quarters.
5. No data is available from the hospital for this measure.

Report is based on information from Hospital Compare, a website created through the efforts of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) along with the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA). The HQA is a public-private collaboration established to promote reporting on hospital quality of care.