Aspirin at Discharge

Why is this important?

Blood clots can block blood vessels and lead to heart attack. Aspirin can help prevent blood clots from forming or help dissolve blood clots that have formed. Following a heart attack, continued use of aspirin may help reduce the risk of another heart attack. Aspirin can have side effects such as stomach inflammation, bleeding or allergic reactions. Talk with your healthcare provider before using aspirin on a regular basis to make sure it’s safe for you.

Higher percentages are better.

Information About Heart Attack Care

A heart attack (also called acute myocardial infarction) occurs when the arteries leading to the heart become blocked and the blood supply is slowed or stopped. When the heart muscle can’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs, the part of the heart tissue that is affected may die.

The symptoms of a heart attack can include:

• Chest pain (often described as a crushing, squeezing or burning pain in the center of the chest that may radiate to the arm or jaw)
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness or extreme weakness
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Cold or clammy skin
• Gray skin tone or ill appearance

Sometimes there may be no symptoms of a heart attack, especially if you have diabetes. While men typically experience chest pain, women sometimes experience different symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

This data, based primarily on data collected by Baxter Regional Medical Center hospital from April 2007 through March 2008, was released publicly on December 18, 2008.