Heart Attack Care

Depend on PIH Health for high-quality heart care when you or a loved one needs it most. Quick, expert treatment during a heart attack can restore blood flow and save lives.

Is It a Heart Attack?

A heart attack happens with blood flow to the heart is blocked. You or a loved one may be experiencing a heart attack if you notice:

• Chest pain, pressure or fullness
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Lightheadedness or sudden weakness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Pain, pressure or a strange feeling in the back, neck, jaw, upper bellow, shoulder or arm
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating

The more of the symptoms you have, the more likely it is that you’re having a heart attack.

Symptoms in Men vs. Women

Chest pain is the most common heart attack symptom for all genders. But some women experience heart attack without chest pressure. Women are more likely than men to experience other symptoms.

What to Do in a Heart Emergency

If you or a loved one has symptoms of a heart attack, call 9-1-1 right away. Do not try to drive to the emergency room yourself. However, you can request to be driven to a specific hospital, such as one of the PIH Health Hospitals in Downey, Los Angeles or Whittier. Emergency medical service (EMS) providers will be able to begin treatment right away in the field and get you to the ER faster. They will communicate with the emergency room team, so they’re ready when you arrive.

High-Quality Heart Attack Care

Trust PIH Health for rapid, high-quality heart attack care.

PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital and PIH Health Whittier Hospital are both designated as a STEMI Receiving Center for Los Angeles County. STEMI stands for ST Elevation Mycardial Infarction  – the most severe type of heart attack.

Our highly trained team begins creating your treatment plan while you are on the way to the hospital. That means you’ll get treatment swiftly. We exceed the American Heart Association’s standard for reopening blocked arteries within 90 minutes of hospital arrival.

Emergency Heart Treatments

Access treatments that can help stop heart attacks and prevent additional complications, such as:

• Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as angioplasty – Opens blocked coronary arteries
• Therapeutic hypothermia – Lowers body temperature of cardiac arrest to protect the brain and improve chances of recovery

Complete Heart & Vascular Care

After a heart emergency, look to PIH Health for comprehensive heart and vascular care that helps you recover and prevent future problems.