BOUNTIFUL, Utah -- Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and Mountain Star Hospitals are putting a huge emphasis on heart care.
When it comes to heart attacks, Cydney Vandyke and the employees at Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful have a saying: “Time is muscle.”
Bill Swiler said speedy treatment is imperative when someone suffers a heart attack.
“'A heart attack is a blockage of blood supply to the heart, which is muscle, and the sooner we can get that blood supply reopened and get blood back to the heart the more muscle we can save and the more heart tissue we can save,” he said.
Lake View, along with four other Mountain Star hospitals, have become the first accredited chest pain centers in Utah, which means that all employees are certified to take care of chest pain and cardiac related illnesses.
Vandyke said this means they can give patients better care faster.
“Our accreditation meant that we looked at our processes, so for the total care of the patient from when they arrive in the emergency room with chest pain, they`re not always a heart attack they might be pre heart attack, and so we have the policies and things in place to take care of that patient so that they get the best in care for what`s happening at that time,” she said.
Jim Rampton, South Davis Metro Fire, said ambulance crews can attach a monitor that captures and transmits patient’s information to the emergency room, so doctors know what is going on before the patient even arrives.
But Rampton said the first step in getting speedy care relies on the patient, especially since some people ignore the warning signs.
'We've always said the first sign that you`re having a heart attack is that you`re denying you`re having a heart attack, and we all think it`s just nothing,” he said. “It`s just something else. It`s not a heart condition, but we have the ability, if they will call us-- to analyze that and have the quickest response and that`s what`s going to save their life if they`re truly having a heart attack.”
Doctors also said those who experience chest pain should call 911 instead of attempting to drive to the hospital because symptoms can get worse on the way.
