Heart attack 101

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Treatment

Immediate medical attention is vital to surviving a heart attack. Though treatment may vary between hospitals, doctors will probably follow these steps:

Monitor vital signs: Once you’re at the hospital, doctors will monitor your vital signs, including blood pressure and pulse.

Administer oxygen: Doctors will probably give you oxygen—even if you are not short of breath—to make sure enough oxygen is circulating in your system.

Improve blood flow: You may receive a dose of aspirin or another blood thinner to make blood flow easier to your heart. A nitroglycerin tablet or injection will also help blood flow by relaxing or expanding your arteries.

Manage pain: The doctor might give you pain medication to ease discomfort.

Test: Doctors will likely run a series of tests to identify the extent of damage or blockage in the heart. An electrocardiogram (EKG), blood test, CT scan, echocardiogram (echo), MRI, angiogram, or other tests may be administered.

Depending on your diagnosis, the next steps in treating a heart attack may include:

Medication

• Thrombolytics to break apart blood clots
• Beta-blockers  to decrease the heart’s workload and help maintain normal heartbeat
• ACE inhibitors to lower blood pressure
• Anticoagulants to prevent blood clots from forming
• Antiplatelet medicines or super aspirin to thin blood

Surgery

• Angioplasty and/or stents: A balloon or stent is inserted into the coronary artery via a tube going from a small puncture in a leg artery to restore blood flow.
• Bypass: A vein or artery is taken from another part of the body and connected to the coronary artery which reroutes blood flow around a blockage. This is done through an incision through the chest.