Heart Attack Care

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States experiences a heart attack, occurring when a blockage in one or more coronary arteries stops blood flow to the heart. The faster the arteries are opened to restore adequate blood supply, the more likely that the person having the heart attack will survive and recover.

FirstHealth is Among the Nation’s Best for Emergency Heart Attack Care

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital consistently exceeds national standards for fast reopening of blocked arteries once patients reach the hospital. The standard set by American Heart Association and the American College Cardiology is 90 minutes, but Moore Regional’s average is only 63 minutes.

Contributing to Moore Regional’s speed is a coordinated system that allows the hospital’s cardiac care specialists to prepare for the patient’s unique situation before he or she arrives through the door. Emergency responders conduct diagnostic tests while transporting the patient to the hospital and transmit the results to the Emergency Department and on-call interventional cardiologist. If results indicate a heart attack
is happening, patients may go straight to the catheterization lab. Depending on the patient’s situation, an interventional cardiologist may insert a catheter (thin tube) in the wrist or groin to insert a stent and open the artery. This procedure is called a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

FirstHealth leads the region in percutaneous coronary intervention

Only 36% of hospitals in the United States are equipped for PCI. Moore Regional Hospital is the established PCI Center for Moore, Montgomery, Lee, Scotland and Richmond counties; portions of upstate South Carolina and Hoke, Randolph and Chatham counties; and some Womack Army Medical Center patients.