If you or someone you know is having chest discomfort, call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital immediately.
Frederick Memorial Hospital is accredited as a Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) from the Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC), its highest level of accreditation. This means our patient care procedures have been approved and recognized as exceeding the rigorous standards of the Society. FMH uses a team approach with physicians and staff to reduce time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack, when treatment is most effective.
The Chest Pain Center (CPC) is an 8-bed unit located in the FMH Emergency Department. The CPC is a dedicated 24/7 inpatient observation unit to evaluate low-risk chest pain patients. As the only hospital in Frederick County, FMH is obligated to offer quality cardiac care to area residents.
FMH offers a full range of cardiac care services, from diagnostic services to immediate surgical intervention to rehabilitation.
Heart Attack Facts and Treatment
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, with more than 600,000 deaths annually from heart disease and more than 5 million visits to hospital emergency rooms due to chest discomfort. One in three adults in the United States suffers from a form of coronary heart disease.
Women’s heart issues are on the rise. Coronary heart disease is the number one single killer of women over the age of 25. In addition, heart disease rates in post menopausal women are two to three times higher than in pre-menopausal women of the same age.
Having heart trouble? Here’s what to do.
If you think you’re having a heart attack, don’t wait. Know the signs and symptoms of heart trouble. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call 9-1-1 and proceed to the closest emergency room:
Pressure, fullness, squeezing pain in the center of the chest, spreading to the neck, shoulder or jaw
Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath
Upper abdominal pressure or discomfort
Lower chest discomfort
Back pain
Unusual fatigue
Unusual shortness of breath
Dizziness
Nausea
Keep in mind that for women, the symptoms are just as dire, but often much more subtle (and easier to ignore):
Chest discomfort – often described as pressure rather than acute pain in women
Discomfort in other parts of the body – one or both arms, the back, jaw, or stomach
Shortness of breath – with or without chest discomfort
Cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness
Emmy-nominated actress Elizabeth Banks directs and stars in this “little film about a super mom who takes care of everyone except herself”. It shows how easily women (in particular) can shrug off these warning signs.
