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Clinical Quality Measures
Heart Attack Treatment Guidelines
St. Anthony’s has the region’s first accredited Chest Pain Center and is recognized for its strict compliance to heart attack treatment guidelines. To speed care, we work with local emergency crews to get accurate cardiac information before a patient even gets to the hospital. We also save lives by starting cardiac catheterization procedures and giving clot-busting
Clinical Outcomes
The information below shows how often St. Anthony's provides the recommended treatment for people with heart attacks.
A heart attack, also called an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), occurs when the arteries leading to the heart become blocked and the heart does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients from the blood. The part of the heart muscle that is not receiving enough blood may become damaged or die.
Legend: 
At or Better than National Average | 
Near National Average | 
Below National Average
| Measures: Higher % is Better | Our Performance | National Average |
How We Compare |
| Average number of minutes before outpatients with chest pain or possible heart attack got an ECG (a lower number of minutes is better)
Why is it important?
“ECG” (sometimes called EKG) stands for electrocardiogram. An ECG is a test that can help doctors know whether patients are having a heart attack.
|
14 Minutes |
43 Minutes | |
| Outpatients with chest pain or possible heart attack who got drugs to break up blood clots within 30 minutes of arrival
Why is it important?
Blood clots can cause heart attacks. Certain patients having a heart attack should get a “clot busting” drug to help break up the blood clots and improve blood flow to the heart.
|
47% | NA | |
| Outpatients with chest pain or possible heart attack who got aspirin within 24 hours of arrival or prior to transfer
Why is it important?
Blood clots can cause heart attacks. For many patients having a heart attack, taking aspirin soon after symptoms of a heart attack begin may help break up a clot and make the heart attack less severe. If patients have not taken aspirin themselves before going to the hospital, they should get aspirin when they arrive.
|
100% | 93% | |
| Heart attack patients given aspirin at arrival
Why is it important?
Aspirin can help keep blood clots from forming and dissolve blood clots that can cause heart attacks.
|
98% | 95% | |
| Heart attack patients giving aspirin at discharge
Why is it important?
Taking aspirin may help prevent further heart attacks.
|
91% | 94% | |
| Heart attack patients given ACE inhibitor or ARB for left ventricular
systolic dysfunction
Why is it important?
ACE inhibitors and ARBs are medicines used to treat heart attacks, heart failure of a decreased function of the heart.
|
86% | 92% | |
| Heart Attack patients given smoking cessation advice or counseling
Why is it important?
Smoking is linked to heart attacks. Quitting may help prevent another heart attack.
|
95% | 96% | |
| Heart attack patients given beta blocker at discharge
Why is it important?
Beta-blockers area a type of medicine used to lower blood pressure, treat chest pain (angina) and heart failure, and to help prevent a heart attack.
|
94% | 94% | |
| Heart attack patients given fibrinolytic medication within 30 minutes of arrival
Why is it important?
Blood clots can cause heart attacks. Doctors may give this medicine, or perform a procedure to open the blockage, and in some cases, may do both.
|
NA | 45% | |
| Heart attack patients given PCI within 90 minutes of arrival
Why is it important?
The procedures called Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) are among those that are the most effective for opening blocked blood vessels that cause heart attacks. Doctors may perform PCI, or give medicine to open the blockage, and in some cases, may do both.
|
66% | 82% | |
| Measures: Lower % is Better | National Average |
How We Compare | |
| 30-day risk adjusted death (mortality) from heart attack
(data reported 7/2005-6/2008)
Why is it important?
These comparisons take into account how sick patients were before they were admitted to the hospital and differences in death rates that might be due to chance.
|
16.2% | |
|
| Rate of readmission for heart attack patients
(data reported 7/2005-6/2008)
Why is it important?
There are many reasons why patients are readmitted to a hospital within 30 days of a hospital stay. When a hospital has a lower (better) risk-adjusted rate of readmission, it may mean that the hospital, physicians, and other healthcare professionals are doing a better job treating patients during their first hospital stay and preparing them for discharge and follow-up care after they leave the hospital.
|
19.9% | |
Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data reported 10/2008-9/2009
Data Updated: 5/25/2010
For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550
or visit find a physician online.
At St. Anthony’s, our vision is to be the area’s premier health care organization
— and your first choice for health care services.