Heart Attack Core Measures

Heart Attack Best Practices

Each year, Parkland treats many patients who have suffered a heart attack. Also known as acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a heart attack occurs when arteries leading to the heart become blocked, depriving the heart of both blood and oxygen. This damages heart muscles and heart cells.

All U.S. hospitals carefully monitor several medical best practices - called Core Measures - for heart attack treatment to ensure that they are meeting recommended guidelines and providing the highest quality of care.

Heart Attack Best Practices	Core Measure*	Parkland’s Performance
Open blocked arteries quickly	Heart attack patients given PCI within 90 minutes of arrival
Provide medication to help keep blood from clotting	Heart attack patients given aspirin at discharge
Provide medication to help lower cholesterol	Heart attack patients given a prescription for a statin at discharge

Legend for Best Practice Performance
	In the top 10% of all hospitals
	More than 5% above the average of all U.S. hospitals
	Within 5% of all U.S. hospitals
	More than 5% under the average of all U.S. hospitals
Parkland’s performance is shown based on all available Hospital Compare data

* 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