Friday, January 8, 2010

YNHH receives Chest Pain Center accreditation


NEW HAVEN - The Society of Chest Pain Centers, a non-profit international society dedicated to improving patient care for heart attack victims, has given Yale-New Haven Hospital 3-year accreditation as a Chest Pain Center with PCI, or percutaneous coronary intervention, the hospital said in a statement.


YNHH is the first and only hospital in Connecticut to received Cycle III accreditation, the highest designation given by the SCPC, the statement said.


The "rigorous accreditation process examined the hospital and its policies, processes and performance measures for diagnosing and treating patients with acute coronary syndrome," the statement said.


"Heart disease is the number one cause of death worldwide," Mariane Carna, RN, executive director of the Yale-New Haven Heart and Vascular Center, said in the statement. "The life of a patient who is having a heart attack is affected by different people in different places, from the onset of the patient's symptoms, the actions of emergency medical services, to where the patient is treated, how blood is restored to the heart, the observation unit, treatment, cardiac rehabilitation and discharge."


In the photo, l to r, Brian Triplett, CEO, Society of Chest Pain Centers; Dr. Henry Cabin, medical director, YNHH heart and vascular center and chief of cardiovascular medicine; Dr. Gail D'Onofrio, chief of YNHH emergency medicine; Mariane Carna, executive director, YNHH heart and vascular center and Richard D'Aquila, executive vice president and COO, YNHH.

An accredited Chest Pain Center is generally thought to provide better care, better prognosis, better quality of life, faster treatment and decreased length of stay in the hospital, according to the Society of Chest Pain Centers, the statement said.


The centers help ensure patients get treatment they need during early stages of a heart attack. The goal is to reduce the time from the patient's arrival at the emergency department to treatment, to avoid as much heart damage as possible, the statement said.


Also, "accredited Chest Pain Centers better integrate the emergency department with the local emergency medical system, continually improve processes and procedures, ensure the competency and training of Chest Pain Center staff and support community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack," it said.


YNHH experts stress that quick action is the most important factor if a patient has symptoms such as chest discomfort, discomfort in other areas of the upper body: arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach, shortness of breath, dizziness, light-headedness or fainting, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, sweating or unexplained weakness or fatigue, the statement said. Women might have different symptoms, including a sense of impending doom, discomfort between the shoulder blades or clammy skin, it said.




1 comment:

imessolution said...

TREATMENT FOR CHEST PAIN
Chest pain is considered a chief symptom of heart related problems. It can occur due to various causes such as heart attack, pulmonary embolism, thoracic aortic dissection, oesophageal rupture, tension pneumothorax and cardiac tamponade.

By conducting several medical tests, the above causes could be ruled out or treated as recommended by medical professionals. If acute chest pain occurs, the patient should be admitted immediately for observation and sequential E.C.G.'s are followed up.

Just like in all medical cases, a careful medical history and detailed physical examination is essential in separating dangerous from minor/trivial causes of disease. Sometimes, there is need of rapid diagnosis to save life of patient. A deep study of recent health changes, family history, tobacco consumption, smoking, diabetes, eating disorders, etc. is useful in treatment of chest pain.

Features of chest pain could be generalised as heaviness; radiation of the pain to neck, jaw or left arm; sweating; nausea; palpitations; pain coming from exertion; dizziness; shortness of breath and a sense of impending doom. On the basis of these characteristics, a number of tests can be carried out for proper treatment. X-ray and CT scan of the chest help in determining the basic cause of pain. An electrocardiogram helps in detailed study of the problem.

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