Opening blocked arteries quickly
Some heart attacks occur because blood clots in the arteries keep oxygen-rich blood from getting to the heart, damaging the heart muscle. Improving blood flow to the heart as quickly as possible is critical to limit damage to the heart and increase the chances of surviving a heart attack.
Why is this important?
Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) are procedures that open blocked arteries and immediately improve blood flow to the heart.
This procedure involves opening the artery by inflating a small balloon in the artery (a procedure called angioplasty) and frequently placing a tube inside the artery to keep it open. For best results, this procedure should be done as soon as possible once a patient arrives at a hospital with a heart attack. Hospitals across the U.S. strive to perform this potentially lifesaving procedure within 90 minutes of a patient arriving in the hospital.
What does this graph show?
The graph indicates the percentage of Parkland heart attack patients who underwent a procedure to open a blocked artery within 90 minutes of arrival at the hospital, compared to both Texas and U.S. averages.
We are working on our care processes to improve our performance on this best practice. Our goal is to ensure that 100 percent of our patients receive this lifesaving treatment within 90 minutes of arriving at our emergency room with a heart attack.
Source: Hospital Compare
* The descriptions of these core measures have been modified from what is available on Hospital Compare for better understanding.
For more information about this report or what it shows, please contact 214.590.8054.
Updated 1.7.15