During February’s Heart Month observance, Holy Family Memorial is encouraging individuals to recognize signs and symptoms of a heart attack and know their risk for cardiovascular disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States and is responsible for one out of every four deaths overall. HFM is proud to offer the highest level of cardiovascular care in Manitowoc County for patients and released their 2018 STEMI or heart attack data.
A ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) is a very serious type of heart attack during which one of the heart's major arteries is blocked preventing the flow of oxygen and blood to the heart muscle that is blocked.
HFM has the only 24/7 cardiac cath lab available in Manitowoc and Sheboygan Counties to treat heart attacks. In 2018, 611 individuals with chest pain were treated at HFM to rule out a heart attack. Below are some of the most notable heart attack statistics from the HFM Cath Lab in 2018:
- Out of those having a heart attack, males outnumbered their female counterparts 3 to 1.
- The youngest patient seen in the Cath Lab in 2018 was 39 years old.
- Current smokers made up 23% of the patients.
- Locally, the most common day for a heart attack is on Thursday, closely followed by Sunday.
- While mornings nationally are the most prevalent times for a heart attack, HFM found 6 and 7 p.m. as the most frequent time.
- Of the patients suffering from a heart attack, sixty-five percent came from Sheboygan County.
Hospitals are scored on their ability to quickly open blocked vessels. By calling 911 when you are having a heart attack an entire series of events occurs to help speed patient time to the cath lab and to reopen the blocked vessel. In 2018, only 49% of the heart attack patients locally called for EMS or an ambulance. EMS personnel can diagnosis a heart attack in the field and alert the Cath Lab while starting patients with some treatment in the ambulance before arriving at the hospital.
With the assistance of EMS in 2018, the HFM Cath Lab recorded a “door-to-balloon” time of just 14 minutes. Door-to-balloon time is recorded as the time the patient arrives at the hospital until the time a balloon is inflated in their heart to open the blocked vessel. HFM’s average door-to-balloon time for all heart attack times remains low at 43 minutes—half the American Heart Association’s recommended national goal of 90 minutes.
For more information cardiovascular services at Holy Family Memorial, visit hfmhealth.org/heart-care