A heart attack is a life threatening emergency and occurs when arteries leading to the heart become blocked. The blood supply is slowed or stopped, preventing oxygen from reaching vital organs including the heart and brain.   

While not appropriate for all patients, the following standards of care for most adult heart attack patients, when followed, are known to help achieve the best medical outcome possible: 

• Given Aspirin at Arrival
• Given Aspirin at Discharge
• Given ACE Inhibitor or ARB for Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD)
• Given Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling
• Given Beta Blocker at Discharge
• Given PCI Within 90 Minutes of Arrival

Outline below is each standard of care measurement, why it's important, and how Riverside performed in meeting the standard.    

What Is Measured
The percent of heart attack patients for whom aspirin was appropriate, who received it within 24 hours of hospital arrival. 

Why It's important
Chewing aspirin at the onset of a heart attack may help prevent blood clots or dissolve existing blood clots that may have already formed. 

What Is Measured
The percent of heart attack patients for whom aspirin was appropriate, who were advised during discharge of a plan for taking it.

Why It's Important
Aspirin helps prevent blood clots from forming and following a heart attack, continued use of aspirin may help reduce the risk of another heart attack.

What Does This Measure?
The percent of heart attack patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) who at discharge, received an ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitor or ARB (angiotensin receptor blocker).

Why It's Important
"ACE" inhibitors and "ARBs" are prescription medications that block a hormone in the body known to causes narrowing of blood vessels. The medicines help reduce stress on the heart by lowering blood pressure. Prescribing ACE inhibitors and ARBs to patients who have had a heart attack or have diminished heart function may significantly reduce future heart attack risk. 

What Is Measured
The percentage of heart attack patients with a history of smoking cigarettes who were counseled and given information to help them stop smoking. 

Why It's Important
Smoking causes arteries to thicken and blood vessels to narrow, increasing the risk for a heart attack, heart failure, or stroke. Patients who receive smoking cessation counseling are shown to be more likely to stop smoking than those who do not.

What Is Measured
The percent of heart attack patients for whom beta blockers was an effective treatment, who received a prescription at discharge. 

Why It's Important
Beta blockers are a type of medicine that physicians prescribe to lower blood pressure and treat treat angina (chest pain) and heart failure. They  help prevent future heart attacks by reducing the force with which the heart pumps blood.

What Is Measured 
"Percutaneous coronary intervention" or PCI, is an interventional, non-invasive procedure such as inserting a "stent" or a tiny inflatable balloon in a blocked vessel to restore blood flow. We measure whether the interventional procedure is done within 90 minutes of a patient arriving at the hospital. 

Why It's Important
During a heart attack, the heart is deprived of oxygen. The sooner a vessel is unblocked and blood flow restored, the less damage there is to the heart muscle and other organs including the brain. PCI procedures can quickly open blocked vessels and may increase a patient’s chance of survival. The earlier PCI is performed, the more effective it is in improving patient outcomes.