This kind of heart attack is called an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (my-oh-CARD’-ee-ull in-FARK’-shun), or STEMI. Often also called a widow-maker, this is the deadliest form of heart attack. That’s because it is caused from a complete blockage in the heart, and no blood is able to pass through. Restoring blood flow is all that matters, and the faster it’s done, the better the chances of recovery and preventing long-term damage to the heart muscle. In this situation, time is muscle.

Myocardial infarction is the medical term for a heart attack. An infarction is a blockage of blood flow to the myocardium (my-oh-CAR’-dee-um), the heart muscle. That blockage causes cells in the heart muscle to die.

A STEMI is a heart attack that causes a distinct pattern on an electrocardiogram (abbreviated either as ECG or EKG). This is a medical test that uses several sensors (usually 10) attached to your skin that can detect your heart’s electrical activity. That activity is then displayed as a wave pattern on a paper readout or a digital display. Certain patterns of heart activity mean there’s a total blockage of one of the heart’s main supply arteries.

During a heart attack, those patterns can mean the heart muscle is dying. At this point, the key goal is to reopen that artery and restore blood flow as soon as possible. This may prevent permanent damage, or at least limit the severity of the damage. If there’s too much damage to the muscle in the ventricles, your heart can’t pump enough blood to support your body. The heart muscle cannot repair itself. That’s why STEMI heart attacks are so dangerous and why restoring blood flow quickly is so critical.

Chest pain or heart attack?

Despite what you might have seen on TV or in movies, a heart attack does not always come on suddenly or include clutching one’s chest in agony. Many times, a heart attack feels like pressure, heaviness or other discomfort in the chest, neck, jaw or down the arms. Though men and women both have heart attacks, they often report different sensations in the body.

STEMI symptoms include:

• Tightness, squeezing, pain, or pressure in your chest that doesn’t go away after a few minutes, or stops and returns
• Pain or discomfort in your arms, neck, jaw, back, or stomach
• Shortness of breath
• Lightheadedness
• Nausea and vomiting
• A cold sweat

There are several conditions that can feel like a heart attack, including anxiety, gas and muscle strain. You always should err on the side of caution when it comes to chest pain, and visit a health care provider to see what the cause of your pain is.

STEMI treatment

Treatment options for STEMI will depend on several factors, including:

• Where the blockage is in your heart
• Results of tests such as ECG/EKG
• Age, general health and lifestyle factors

No matter what, treating a STEMI is time-sensitive. Faster treatment can mean better outcomes. If your blood oxygen levels are low, treatment may include supplemental oxygen. There are also several different potential treatments for heart attack, several of which may happen in sequence or at the same time.

Other treatments include:

• Percutaneous coronary (per-kew-TANE’-ee-us COR’-oh-nar-ee) intervention  (PCI) — this procedure uses a tiny balloon that inflates to clear the blockage in the artery. A stent may be used, which is a scaffold that unfolds to hold the artery open.
• Medication — several medications are usually given early on in the treatment of heart attack, including beta blockers and statins.
• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery — CABG (pronounced like “cabbage”) means a surgeon takes a blood vessel from somewhere else in your body and uses it to make a new blood vessel that bypasses the blockage. CABG is often called bypass surgery or open heart surgery.

STEMI heart attack care network

Norton Healthcare has worked with Louisville-area health systems, emergency medical services (EMS) providers, air transport providers and affiliates to build the area’s first regional STEMI network. Like a top-notch pit crew for a race car, everyone on the team has a specific role: From the time you first seek medical care to the time the blockage is cleared, the STEMI network has your care covered.  

Part of the network’s purpose is to equip EMS crews with EKG equipment that can detect a STEMI heart attack. When a 911 call is made and EMTs arrive to provide care, the EKG taken in the first moments is sent to the STEMI network, activating a team that begins to prepare for the arrival of a patient. In some cases, the crew can save time by skipping what may be the closest hospital and heading directly to an accredited chest pain center where staff have been trained in heart attack care.

The goal is to get blood flowing within 90 minutes or less. Norton Heart & Vascular Institute and its partners in the STEMI network — which reaches into rural parts of Kentucky and Southern Indiana — beat the goal nearly 100% of the time. In 2022, Norton Healthcare had a median time of 56 minutes.

Norton Healthcare partners with other providers and emergency personnel who encounter STEMI patients to conduct drills and improve processes. This partnership was instrumental in the American Heart Association awarding its Mission Lifeline: Trailblazer designation to Norton Healthcare, thus recognizing the pioneering work done to create network of care to treat STEMI hear attacks.

The post A STEMI is one of the most dangerous forms of heart attack — here’s what you need to know appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

“If you have early warning signs of a heart attack, don’t dismiss it — it’s a chance for you to get care that could prevent a more devastating attack,” said Abdullahi O. Oseni, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with Norton Heart & Vascular Institute. “When we can provide early heart attack care, it gives us a chance to treat the cause of your symptoms before  significant damage occurs.”

Early heart attack symptoms

Someone may experience few early heart attack symptoms or all of the following. When they start, these symptoms can be mild or come and go. Over days or weeks, early heart attack symptoms and pain increase until the person potentially collapses.

• Feeling of fullness
• Pain that travels down one or both arms
• Jaw pain
• Excessive fatigue
• Anxiety
• Nausea
• Back pain
• Shortness of breath
• Chest discomfort, pain, pressure, squeezing, aching or burning

RELATED:ASTEMI is one of the most dangerous forms of heart attack —here’s what you need to know

Heart attack in men versus women

Men may experience different heart attack symptoms from women. Why does it matter? Women are less likely to seek immediate medical care and are more likely to die from a heart attack.

• Men normally feel pain and numbness in the left arm or side of chest. In women, the pain and numbness may appear on the right side. 
• Women may feel completely exhausted, drained, dizzy or nauseous.
• Women may feel upper back pain that travels up into the jaw.
• Women may think stomach pain is the flu, heartburn or an ulcer.

How can you prevent a heart attack?

Up to 85% of heart damage can occur within the first two hours of a heart attack. Know these early heart attack symptoms and act on them immediately — before any damage occurs.

• Be alert for a heart attack in yourself or someone around you. Becoming an active bystander could save a life.
• When in doubt, call 911 about heart attack signs. First responders have the medical technology to quickly save a life. 

Heart attack risk factors

Several risk factors increase your chance of having a heart attack. Many are controllable by making changes to your lifestyle. Discuss your personal risk of a heart attack with your doctor, including:

• Chest pain, pressure, aching or tightness that may come and go
• A family history of heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Overweight or obese
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Using tobacco products
• Metabolic disease, diabetes or other illness
• For women: using birth control pills, a history of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or having a baby with low birth weight

What happens in a heart attack

The heart’s job is to pump blood around the body. Like any muscle, the heart itself needs its own supply of oxygen-rich blood to do its job. The coronary arteries supply the heart muscle. When that blood flow is interrupted, robbing the heart of the oxygen and other nutrients it needs to do its job, the result is myocardial infarction — commonly known as a heart attack. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping.

Cholesterol buildup inside the blood vessels — a heart disease called arteriosclerosis — is a common cause of blockages that lead to heart attacks. Cholesterol buildup, or plaques, can break free from the blood vessel wall and lead to a blood clot that blocks the artery and ends up causing a heart attack or stroke.

When the heart muscle isn’t getting the oxygen it needs, the result can be the common symptom of chest pain and other symptoms. Heart attacks that start slowly can show an early warning sign, such as chest discomfort that lasts more than a few minutes. 

If you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, the American Heart Association advises seeking medical help right away. If you have heart attack warning signs, call 911 immediately.

EMTs typically can respond to you faster than you can get to an emergency room. They can begin treatment right away and are trained to resuscitate you if you go into cardiac arrest.

EMTs can alert heart attack response teams at the emergency room while taking you there.

The post 9 Early Signs of a Heart Attack appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

It’s a complicated issue, and unlike other heart conditions, isn’t caused by diet, smoking or even genetics.

Patients with structural heart conditions typically need the care of multiple heart specialists who can collaborate from their own viewpoints to arrive at a comprehensive care plan. Combining the skills of cardiothoracic surgeons, interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists and imaging cardiologists into the same team brings more experience to bear and a more convenient treatment path for the patient.

“Patients are fast-tracked for evaluation, diagnosis and treatment, and those who need surgery or minimally invasive procedures are scheduled within four weeks,” said D. Sean Stewart, M.D., structural heart disease and interventional cardiologist with the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Structural Heart Program.

Patients can schedule multiple appointments in one visit on the Norton Audubon Hospital campus. A nurse navigator can assist patients in finding their way through their care, with help ranging from explanations about the patient’s condition and care to navigating insurance, planning aftercare and any home-care needs.

Norton Heart & Vascular Institute has been treating structural heart conditions for more than 10 years and adopted the multiprovider approach more recently to support patients through diagnosis, treatment and recovery.

Understanding structural heart disease

All four of the heart’s valves — aortic, mitral, tricuspid and pulmonic — need to open wide, then shut tight in a precise rhythm for blood to keep moving forward to the lungs and out to the rest of the body.

“Heart valves may not close all the way — regurgitation — or open sufficiently —  stenosis. These conditions can develop over time and often don’t need treatment. Sometimes invasive treatment is necessary to fix these issues. In these instances, if left untreated, structural heart disease can lead to serious complications,” Dr. Stewart said.

The mitral valve is particularly prone to begin to leak over time. As it regulates the blood flow into the heart’s powerful left ventricle, this leakage can lead to serious and even life-threatening issues.

If left untreated, mitral regurgitation can lead to heart failure and arrhythmia.

Likewise, the aortic valve is prone to become narrow over time. Valve stenosis happens when a valve becomes narrowed or stiff and doesn’t allow enough blood to flow out of the heart to the rest of the body. The result is typically shortness of breath and chest discomfort.

In some instances adults were born with structural heart conditions. They need continuing specialized care throughout their lives from congenital heart defect specialists as children, then adult congenital heart disease specialists as they grow older.

Regardless of the type or cause of the valve issue, the specialists across Norton Heart & Vascular Institute can meet patients’ treatment needs.

Treatment options for structural heart disease

“What was once treated with open heart surgery and required a multiple-day stay in the hospital is now considered minimally invasive. Patients often go home the next day,” Dr. Stewart said.

With the help of the latest technology, structural heart disease specialists use minimally invasive treatments that use tools threaded through blood vessels to the diseased valve to make repairs or even replacements. A tiny incision in the groin or an alternative site allows the physicians to access blood vessels, while advanced imaging helps them guide a catheter to the valve causing the condition.

Structural heart disease treatments include transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), transcatheter tricuspid valve repair or replacement, transcatheter pulmonic valve replacement, left atrial appendage closure (Watchman) and transcatheter mitral valve repair or replacement.

“Rest assured, the structural heart team at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute has the experience and expertise to treat you and your loved one with these conditions,” Dr. Stewart said.

The post Patients with structural heart disease benefit from minimally invasive, collaborative approach appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

During medical school, Dr. Panchal took a trip to a shopping mall with his wife and father. As they browsed, his father complained of heartburn. The group stopped at a yogurt shop, thinking the cold treat would offer some relief. The yogurt didn’t help, but eventually the discomfort subsided. None of them thought much of it.

About a week later, the father went to his primary care provider for a checkup. Blood tests revealed that the 55-year-old had actually been having a heart attack while at the mall. He underwent successful bypass surgery and continues medical therapy today. 

“I was in total shock. I could not believe it happened right under my nose,” Dr. Panchal said. “Here I was a medical school student, and I had missed something so serious. That day I learned a humbling lesson: that a heart attack could happen to anyone at any time, and it doesn’t always look obvious. I became so curious, a career in cardiology ended up my destination.”

Besides remembering what happened to his father, Dr. Panchal is very invested in the environment of care offered to patients. He is medical director of the Norton Brownsboro Hospital Cardiac Catheterization Program.

“We try every day, as a team, to provide compassionate care and instill a sense of trust,” Dr. Panchal said. “My goal is to make sure they feel they are cared for.”

Dr. Panchal remains passionate about spreading the word about the signs of a heart attack and not to ignore them, no matter how subtle, because getting care right away could save your life.

“Time is muscle,” as the saying goes, and every minute counts when it comes to preserving the heart from damage. According to Dr. Panchal, everyone has symptoms as varied and nuanced as the patients who experience them. Anyone can have a heart attack, and feeling great doesn’t necessarily mean you are safe from an incident.

The post Passion from purpose: Vipul R. Panchal, M.D., his story appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

El dolor de espalda superior puede ser un signo de un ataque al corazón, especialmente en las mujeres.

Tal vez pasaste un poco más de tiempo haciendo trabajos de jardinera durante el fin de semana, o tal vez moviste algunos muebles al depósito. Ahora te duele la espalda. Pero, ¿podría ser otra cosa?

La mayoría de nosotros conocemos la imagen clásica de un ataque al corazón: un hombre agarrándose el pecho con dolor. Pero la mayoría de los ataques cardíacos en las mujeres no ocurren de esta manera.

Las mujeres son más propensas a experimentar algunos síntomas más sutiles. Por ejemplo, pueden sentir dolor en la parte superior de la espalda, la mandíbula, los dientes y el cuello, especialmente si ocurre junto con otros síntomas como sudoración repentina sin esfuerzo asociado, dificultad para respirar o sentimientos de ansiedad.

¿Qué tiene que ver el dolor de espalda superior con un ataque al corazón?

¿Por qué la incomodidad en la espalda sería una pista de un ataque al corazón? La respuesta es “dolor referido”. Esto es cuando el cerebro está confundido sobre el origen del dolor. Mientras que el corazón puede estar hambriento de oxígeno, los nervios que conectan el corazón con el cerebro también se fusionan con los que conectan la cabeza y el cuello, por lo que las señales se malinterpretan. El dolor de espalda, cuello o mandíbula relacionado con el ataque cardíaco también es más difuso, por lo que es difícil determinar su ubicación exacta.

No todos los ataques cardíacos son iguales, y no todas las personas tienen la misma gravedad de los síntomas. Además, muchas personas ignoran los síntomas como algo menor. Es importante ser que te examines si tienes síntomas inusuales, factores de riesgo de ataque cardíaco o una combinación de síntomas que podrían sugerir un problema.

La mejor guía es conocer tu línea de base personal y comprender tus factores de riesgo. Si fumas o tiene diabetes, tus probabilidades de tener un ataque cardíaco aumentan. A veces, las personas que no tienen factores de riesgo y que por lo demás se consideran saludables pueden tener ataques cardíacos. Si no has realizado alguna actividad física para desencadenar ese dolor de espalda, y también te sientes ansiosa o muy cansada con el dolor, eso puede significar que estás experimentando un ataque cardíaco.

Los síntomas comunes del ataque cardíaco pueden ser:

• Presión, opresión o dolor en el pecho
• Dolor o dolor en el cuello, la mandíbula o la espalda
• Náuseas, indigestión, acidez estomacal o dolor abdominal
• Dificultad para respirar, incluso cuando no se ha realizado ninguna actividad física
• Transpiración
• Fatiga inusual
• Aturdimiento o mareos

Si crees que estás teniendo un ataque al corazón, no esperes para obtener ayuda

Llama al 911 o pídele a alguien que te lleve a la sala de emergencias del hospital más cercano. Después de llamar al 911, tú puedes:

• Tomar nitroglicerina, si lo receta tu médico.
• Tomar aspirina, pero solo si te la receta tu médico. La aspirina puede interactuar con otros medicamentos y debe tomarse solo cuando se lo indique un profesional médico.

The post El dolor de espalda puede ser un síntoma de un ataque al corazón, especialmente en las mujeres appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Mitral valve regurgitation sometimes doesn’t need any treatment or can be treated with medication. In moderate to severe cases the valve needs repair to make it close tighter and prevent blood from squirting backward in the heart.

“Heart surgery is still the recommended treatment for patients with moderate to severe mitral valve regurgitation or those with severe valvular disease,” said D. Sean Stewart, M.D., medical director of interventional cardiology at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute and medical director of the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Structural Heart Program. “Patients who haven’t found relief from other treatments and are too sick to undergo surgery are benefitting from this new option.”

Interventional cardiologists at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute have been helping patients with this minimally invasive mitral valve repair for more than two years.

The mitral valve controls blood from your lungs flowing into the left ventricle. If it doesn’t close properly, blood can get pumped back into the left atrium when the powerful left ventricle squeezes blood into the aorta and on its way through the body.

This backup of blood, also called regurgitation because it’s flowing the wrong way, can be severe enough to cause symptoms such as fatigue and feeling out of breath. If it isn’t treated, mitral valve regurgitation can lead to heart failure or heart rhythm conditions.

Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr)

Norton Heart & Vascular Institute interventional cardiologists can repair the mitral valve by threading a thin catheter through blood vessels. The procedure is known as transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr). At the site of the mitral valve, a tool on the end of the catheter places a clip, MitraClip, on the two mitral valve leaflets. Since the heart is still beating, interventional cardiologists assess how well the clip is working and can adjust its position until the regurgitation is minimized if not eliminated.

TMVr versus TMVR

Although they sound very similar, transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) is very different from transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). The TMVR valve replacement procedure places a new valve in place of a previously implanted bioprosthetic valve made of tissue that has started to wear out.

Replacement valves made from animal tissue can last up to 20 years. Over time, the tissue valve wears out and patients can start to experience regurgitation or a narrowing of the valve — stenosis — that similarly limits blood flow.

Open heart surgery to replace the valve isn’t an option for some patients, and TMVR, also known as a valve-in-valve replacement, performed by a Norton Heart & Vascular Institute cardiothoracic surgeon or interventional cardiologist, can improve quality of life dramatically.

The post Minimally invasive treatment for a leaky mitral valve reduces heart failure symptoms without surgery appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

The patient had a dangerous calcium buildup in one of the arteries supplying his heart. Dr. Rothschild and another interventional cardiologist would use a tiny drill called a Rotablator to burr through the calcium so the stent could be inserted and restore blood flow.

Working with Dr. Rothschild was a leader in the field — an interventional cardiologist with nearly 40 years’ experience and one of the first Louisville cardiologists to implant a stent. His colleague was his father, Armand H. Rothschild, M.D.

“To stand in the lab and do a complex case together was really, really special,” the younger Dr. Rothschild said.

A few weeks later, Dr. Armand Rothschild watched his son perform a procedure that didn’t exist when he trained, a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

“He’s skillful,” the elder Dr. Rothschild said. “Let’s put it this way. I don’t have to worry about

him.”

As interventional cardiologists, father and son restore blood flow for patients who have blockages caused by coronary artery disease.

A father’s example of finding joy at work

Dr. Daniel Rothschild said he was drawn to medicine in general and cardiology in particular because he grew up seeing how much his father enjoyed his job.

“He always exhibited such joy in what he did. He came home happy every day from work,” the younger Dr. Daniel Rothschild said.

The father quips that the actor George Clooney’s portrayal of a doctor on the television drama “ER” was the real motivation behind his son becoming a cardiologist. Jokes aside, Dr. Armand Rothschild concedes that he really does like his job.

“I entered cardiology at a time when it was transforming from a diagnostic field to a procedural field — where we could fix things. It’s a really neat job,” Dr. Armand Rothschild said.

Dr. Daniel Rothschild’s mother, Marylee Rothschild, M.D., is chief of staff at the Robley Rex VA Medical Center in Louisville. His parents met during her medical residency in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and his cardiology fellowship at Allegheny General Hospital.

Showing dad the newest procedures

Back then, cardiology training was two years. The son went through five years of specialized training.

“A lot of procedures I learned on the job have been normalized in training. That’s how much has evolved in 35 years,” Dr. Armand Rothschild said. “These complex interventions, that’s part of training now.”

Among those complex interventions is TAVR, which Dr. Daniel Rothschild performed on one of his father’s patients. The patient needed a valve replacement but was too sick for surgery. Dr. Armand Rothschild, who’s practice has evolved extensively over the years, said he was comfortable handing the patient off to his son and his extensive training.

“Dad came over and watched the case. He’d never seen one live/in-person before. It went smoothly and the patient did great,” Dr. Daniel Rothschild said.

Father and son don’t normally see each other at work. Dr. Daniel Rothschild works mostly at Norton Audubon Hospital in Louisville. Dr. Armand Rothschild works with Norton Heart & Vascular Institute, primarily in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Dr. Daniel Rothschild said he is very close to his parents and there was no pressure to go into medicine. When it came time to choose a specialty, though, he picked interventional cardiology.

The younger Dr. Rothschild was born at Norton Audubon Hospital and went to medical school at the University of Kentucky. He completed his medical residency at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. His cardiology training was at Beaumont Health in Detroit, Michigan, before returning to Louisville.

“Life has come totally full circle,” Dr. Daniel Rothschild said.

The post Father, son advancing heart care at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Plaque in the arteries is made up of fats, cholesterol, calcium and other substances in the blood. Plaque deposits gradually over time on the walls of the arteries, long before there are any signs or symptoms of disease. Factors such as diet, genetics and lifestyle can influence how much or little plaque builds up in your arteries. These deposits can restrict the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the muscles of the heart. Plaque also may break off into the blood stream, triggering a blood clot that can cause a heart attack.

During a calcium scoring test, a CT scan takes pictures of your heart in thin sections. The result is a score based on the amount of calcium seen on the scan. The higher your calcium score, the higher your risk for a heart attack or other cardiac event. The test takes about 30 minutes.

“Cardiologists use this test to help patients decide what approach they want to take toward their health care to reduce risk,” said Steven J. Raible, M.D., cardiologist with Norton Heart & Vascular Institute. “Do they want to treat with medication? For instance, take a cholesterol-lowering medicine, like a statin? Do they want to make lifestyle changes? How aggressive do they want to be?” The doctor will help you learn the facts and choose the best plan of action.

Who needs the test? Who doesn’t?

“We don’t suggest a calcium score for everybody,” Dr. Raible said. “A coronary calcium scan usually is not performed in men younger than 40 or 45 years old or women younger than 50 to 55 years old. Younger people typically don’t have much plaque built up in their arteries.”

Your doctor may not suggest or recommend a calcium scoring test if you have a very low risk because there won’t be enough detectable calcium in your arteries. By the same token, if you have known high risk factors such as smoking, very high cholesterol or diabetes, a calcium scan will not add any information that would guide your treatment. “This test just gives us a little more data to work with,” Dr. Raible said. “It’s just one piece of the bigger picture.”

Most health insurance plans don’t pay for coronary calcium scanning. The cost can range from about $100 to $200. If you have the following risk factors, you may benefit from a coronary calcium scan:

• Men age 45 and older; women age 55 and older
• Family history of heart disease
• Past or present smoker
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Obesity
• Not physically active

The post What is a calcium score? appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

During a visit to the Norton Brownsboro Hospital emergency department one recent afternoon, a man was brought in two days after he first started noticing stroke symptoms.

“He’s in the right place now,” a nurse said, reassuring the woman who dropped him off.

He was wheeled to the check-in station and given a surgical face mask. Showing no symptoms of coronavirus disease, the man was taken directly to a room for care — with no wait and no intermingling with patients who had COVID-19 symptoms.

If he had a fever or other symptoms, he would have been taken to a separate set of rooms — marked off with red tape on the floor — where patients with COVID-19 symptoms are treated by a separate staff. If a patient with no COVID-19 symptoms does have any wait, surgical masks are available, and a temporary designated waiting area has been set up just outside the emergency department.

Don’t hesitate if you need emergency care

While emergency rooms in New York have been overwhelmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, many in the Louisville area are quiet. Social distancing is in place in waiting areas, and caregivers are ready for patients.

The number of people sickened by the coronavirus has been manageable, and established procedures keep those with or without symptoms safe.

Norton Healthcare emergency departments are prepared. Everyone who enters is checked for symptoms of COVID-19, given a surgical face mask and treated in one of two separate areas depending on their symptoms.

Medical staff members are assigned to one set of patients and don’t intermingle with others, to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus. By using personal protective equipment the right way, when it is needed, the staff has been able to keep supplies — masks, gowns, gloves and protective respiratory devices — sufficient for what’s needed.

“It is very important that if you or a loved one is experiencing chest pain, difficulty speaking, mental confusion or difficulty moving an arm or leg, that you call 911,” said Steven T. Hester, M.D., MBA, division president, provider operations, and system chief medical officer, Norton Healthcare. “It is critical that you do not neglect your health or ignore troubling symptoms during this time. Talk to your provider or use our telehealth services if you are not sure your situation requires an ER visit. We are safely and efficiently treating emergency and urgent health care needs for all patients, not just those with COVID-19.”

Those who survive after putting off care can face lifelong chronic conditions as a result.

A study drafted for the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that since March 1, 2020, the number of cardiac catheterizations to treat STEMI heart attacks dropped 38% from the 14 months prior. That’s on top of what could have been an expected increase in STEMI heart attacks, the deadliest type of heart attack, given increased emotional stress and viral-induced heart attacks.

While social distancing has been effective in limiting the spread of the coronavirus, avoiding care for a heart attack, stroke or other life-threatening illness is risking your life.

The post Don’t ignore heart attack or stroke symptoms: Louisville-area emergency rooms are prepared appeared first on Norton Healthcare.

Jamie was working on the Scottsburg, Indiana, course’s irrigation system when he began feeling what he thought was terrible heartburn and then a bad stomachache. He’d felt the same heartburn almost exactly a year earlier, and it had gone away.

This time, something didn’t feel right, and Jamie got in a golf cart and headed for the clubhouse. On the way, he tried to call his sister, Sharon Parker, who also worked at the course.

“I couldn’t see anything. Everything went white,” Jamie recalled recently.

Somehow, he made it to the clubhouse and told his sister to call 911.

“I just remember lying there in the pro shop,” Jamie said. “It felt as though my chest was on fire.”

Emergency medical technicians arrived and then an ambulance. Jamie went first by ambulance to nearby Scott Memorial Hospital — more than a half-hour’s drive north of Louisville —  and then by helicopter to Norton Hospital in downtown Louisville.

“It was the craziest thing. Everything was going fast,” Jamie said. “To me, it seemed like the helicopter went straight up and straight back down.”

At Norton Hospital, Jamie was rushed to the catheterization lab. There, Wayne M. Shugoll, M.D., cardiologist with Norton Heart & Vascular Institute, performed a procedure called an angioplasty. Jamie watched a monitor as Dr. Shugoll inserted a stent, opening what was a completely blocked artery leading from Jamie’s heart.

“On the monitor, he said, ‘Right there, you’ve got 100% blockage,’” Jamie recalled.

Jamie had suffered what is called a STEMI heart attack, which stands for ST-elevation myocardial infarction. The telltale sign of a STEMI heart attack is the lines on an electrocardiogram (EKG). Instead of spiking up and coming all the way down, they only come part of the way down. That’s the ST-elevation.

According to Jamie, as soon as Dr. Shugoll inserted the stent, he felt better.

“I said, ‘I feel fantastic. I’m ready to go home.’ He said, ‘You’re not going to go anywhere for a couple of days.’”

According to Jamie, there is no history of heart issues in his family, and he was in a good health before the heart attack. He didn’t have any of the common risk factors for a STEMI heart attack: older age, heart failure, diabetes, smoking, kidney disease, a fast heart rate or low blood pressure. Later, he tested positive for Lyme disease, which he believes may have been a factor.

With STEMI network, Jamie got treatment fast

Getting to the hospital as quickly as possible is the most important factor in treating a STEMI heart attack. Ideally, a patient reaches the catheterization lab in under 90 minutes. Jamie learned the time between his 911 call and the catheterization lab was less than an hour.

“I don’t know how I’m here today if these people aren’t where they’re supposed to be.

Especially with 100% blockage. The 911 responders. The communication with Norton [Hospital]. I’m lucky to be here,” said Jamie, who is now athletic director at Scottsburg High School.

Recovery from a STEMI heart attack requires rehabilitation, and Jamie worked his way back slowly at Clark Memorial Health’s cardiac rehab, under the guidance of nurses there. He now runs 10 to 18 miles a week and no longer worries about another heart attack every time he has an ache or pain.

“I don’t know how long I went without thinking about it every day. The nurses told me it’s going to be six to eight months before you start feeling yourself again,” Jamie said. “Without cardiac rehab, I probably would have just gotten worse.”

From last wishes to greeting his new son

Lying in the clubhouse that September morning, Jamie wasn’t sure he was going to make it through the day. A lifelong resident of Scott County, Indiana, Jamie knows a lot of people, including the EMT who arrived on the scene before the ambulance.

“I said, ‘Buddy, what is going on?’ He said, ‘I’m going to tell you, but I need you to stay calm. You’ve had a heart attack.’ I said, ‘If I don’t make it, you need to tell my son I love him.’”

Two weeks after the heart attack, Jamie was cleared to go back to work. He was mowing a golf green early that Sunday morning when his wife called. She was in labor. Jennifer gave birth to their son, Andrew, a few hours later with Jamie at her side.

According to Jamie, he is thankful for every day with his family and for the care he received when an unexpected heart attack put his life in the balance.

“It’s a miracle. That whole network being set up,” Jamie said. “Without that, there’s no way I’m here.”

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