Urgent Care Centres are similar to General Practitioners' clinics in a way that they are the first stop for patients in medical access, where patients' concerns might not warrant emergency care, but still in need of an urgent assessment. Management then are given according to the presenting symptoms or complaints, the urgency depending on the patients' needs.
In our Heart Attack Centre, we have had patients where they have been to an Urgent Care Center and were sent home after their assessments. Fair enough if that is the management that's appropriately decided.
Trying to lift my spirit up while waiting for my bus.
But what if it's not?
A heart attack patient was brought to us last night, a 66 year old male who collapsed at home. His wife and family did CPR on him till the ambulance arrived. His pulse returned after one DC shock of Ventricular Fibrillation (VF). His airway was supported, with a Glasgow Coma Score of 8, he was groaning when talked to. The family reported of the patient going to the Urgent Care Centre earlier in the day for a history of a few days of slight chest pains. He was sent home with painkillers.
This was not the first time that we have had patients in this situation. That when they were brought to us, they were so unwell, with some patients not making it.
Chest pains, indigestion pains, neck pains, jaw pains, Left shoulder/arm pains
** Any patient who have any of the above symptoms can be having a heart attack. As these have been reported by almost all of our heart attack patients that we have had throughout the years.
Some individuals do disregard some of these symptoms, may they be patients or medical personnels. For medical practitioners, a lot have made misdiagnosis. Our patient above as an example.
Try to forget work after each shift.
When in doubt, send to the nearest A&E or to the Heart Attack Centre
We have had ambulance crew who were apologetic when bringing patients who were in doubt of having a heart attack. Although, some patients' ECGs aren't straight-forward ST elevation Myocardial Infarctions, IT IS ALWAYS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SURE WHEN IN DOUBT.
Let our doctors decide. The emphasis here is that, patients' symptoms need to be ruled-out from a real heart attack . Even our doctors can be in doubt sometimes, but there are other investigations and managements that are available only in a heart attack centre or if we think it can be done to the nearest A&E department, we send the patients there.
Safe practice is ruling out these symptoms from a real heart attack. This is a life saving measure and preventative from a debilitating result of a late presentation heart attack (MI).
Well done ma'am doing a good job creating awareness about this things. These are symptoms easily neglected or misinterpreted. We need sure awareness to improve patient care and help save more lives. Cheers
Awareness sure helps a lot...there are protocols and procedures on how and what to do when it comes to chest pains. The London ambulance follows it to a T since 2004. Am sure this was escalated to all Urgent Care Departments, Gp's and A&Es a long time ago.
You know how sensitive I am about this.
And our healthcare system here is SHIT - once I called 911 because I was having severe chest pains and high pulses [and you know my situation so I got freaked] and you know what they told me? 'But you sound fine'..... A friend took me to the hospital where I waited 6 (!!!) hours and in the end it was just a panic attack, result of stress - but still.......
Good to keep those in mind though, even the slightest thought or action can actually save a life... Resteemed!
My kisses beautiful <3
Thanks Loop..regardless, chest pains need to be ruled out and musn't take 6 hours wait to be seen. We differ thu from here but still..
So sorry to hear that. Next time u feel like ur heart is racing...have a deep cough or strain once in a while. It slows the heart rate.
Watch that smoking of yours.
I'm not smoking that much :P [even though I did start again] :* <3
My dad died of a heart attack, doctor said he had a high blood pressure, the most painful thing is that, he died in an instant,
I really know how it feels how do you think it can be stopped?
Been a while
Am sorry about your Dad. Hypertension is a big factor in heart disease. Education and awareness of the risk factors are keys in prevention and management. Healthy lifestyle too plays a role.
Thank you for informing us. and we know that many of the heart patients died before taking them to the right care center. thumbs up for your post. keep sharing like that. stay blessed <3
Thank you, this is what i try to do. And u!
You are welcome dear <3
The modern dilemma is to quickly assess and dismiss incoming to save insurance companies money.... sad as I think this is against the medical oath. I know it is more forced on the Doctors than not... the insurance companies need a shake up.
That may be elsewhere, in UK it is not. Each patient seen is funded in Primary Health. An EU tourist is even free and outside EU, we can treat anyone if life-saving. Private patients use insurance for earlier diagnostics for electives.
This is such an important issue !
It is..that it can be disheartening sometimes.
We move on.
Heart attacks are scary but mostly it is scary that there are so many patients with the symptoms! Used to be - patients would be kept in the hospital with such symptoms instead of being sent home. 😞
If diagnosed yes or even presumed that they have it. A beginning of a heart can just be mild and insignificant to some, but still needs to be ruled out.
Thanks for the tips, dear @immarojas, I'm at an age I start to worry about these symptoms. No immortal spirit anymore :).
I think we are all at that age..from 20s up😔😔
Some heart attack patients didn't feel any pain as well so any symptoms is possible to consider when having risk factors of heart disease.
Yes, indeed! And I have them, from both my parents, and my father died at 47 with a heart attack.... Thanks for the care, my friend!
Check ur cholesterol as 47 is a young age. There are a lot of proven risk factors that i have not posted of but there was a series i did re: diet and exercise.
Thanks! I do both (but I'm a smoker :()
Then ur risk is higher am afraid.
I still have hope to quit!
Thanks for this post, @immarojas ! In my family there were some cases of heartbreaking (some years ago it happened to my uncle and just one year ago to my father) and it's very important to be informed about the symptoms.
You're welcome Silvia..hope this will help anyone and their friends and families too.
I am cardiac so once in a while my posts are like this. Hope you're well yourself?
Aww. Being misdiagnosed is one of the worst thing ever, it's always best to ask for second opinion and to remember these symptoms you have mentioned above for future. This post could help save lives. ❤
Thank you..even if it could save one, i'll be happy☺☺
i have a question lola, and it's out of curiosity. What is usually done with patients that are identified having early symptoms of heart attack?
Since heart attack means there is a blockage in one or 2 or 3 arteries...
treatment is to open the artery or unblock the artery to have blood flow thru:
Access to these things are the emergency measures. In our HAC, once a patient arrives, the HAC nurse can give those tablets (1) while waiting for the team.
They are the standard meds ie. Aspirin 300mg and Clopidogrel or ticagrelor loading doses then bring the patient to cath lab.
I-popost ko pa ba to kaya?
Yay thankyou for taking your time to reply and to explain it to me. I just feel like it's important for me to know all these things. Haha good informative post yan lola if ibblog mo sya it would help people be aware about heart attacks.
Yeah ok..tapusin ko muna un diet series..hirap i-format. Plus dami advertisements😂
Fully in accordance with what you have said, we must always take precautionary measures when carrying out any activity, and even more so if they are health workers. Paramedics, nurses and doctors have such a great responsibility that in their decisions they are often life and death. I admire health workers
Thank you, we appreciate that.We are constantly making decisions that can affect lives, where a bit of a mistake can be debilitating or deadly, regardless of wanting the best for the patients. We can be complacent too in our practice sometimes.
My father was stroke because of the heart attack. Half of his body does not move. He had a third heart attack.
How did it happen sinabe??
It is fond of eating pork fat and eating a lot of rice. Sometimes CHICHARON manok (chicken) and BABOY (pork)... ^_^
This is his fault because he doesn't care about his health even if we tell him to stop.
Don't we eat those ourselves? Perhaps in moderation it's ok plus exercises which is hard to do too.
There is a time for everything..we have had a patient who had a heart attack many times and still alive. He was annoyed already why he's alive still.
Hahaha... Why? He don't want to live anymore? My father have heart attack 4x and the fourth heart attack that he had stroke.
He gets so unwell and recovered each time..i guess he's tired.
I can’t imagine all the variables invloved and the hungry lawyers looking for a misstep. Off topic...have your heard of or read about C60 ? I would welcome your thoughts....very interesting.
Nope..link please? or is it in utube?
if the patient was misdiagnosed is it still considred or belong to malpractice case? these scenario needs more attention to avoid risks factor that might put their lives in danger instead to pro long their lives.
Kuya..masarap kumaen ng chicharon,lechon,ice cream, maaalat, lahat lahat na.
Malpractice yes..the family needs to prove na meron negligence na nangyare. Knowing hospitals, they cover these things para di sila pay. i-sack lang ang personnel.
Nag-party kayo??
hahaha... not yet po!! for scheduling pa po..
Knowing Marlon..tipid un magbalita..so u make kwento sa ken and pics sa Bayawan ba sabe? Got bobie too on discord😂😂
nope... Sir marlon said we should focus daw sa paintings here in Bacolod. Association of Negros Artist are align with paintings.. he already knew about bayawan.. Bayawan is 5 hours away from Bacolod.. I am waitingfor the proposal letter from his city.. I already talked to dumaguete team.. I will organize this walk of hope project here. juts update them if everything is all set..