The “Hollywood heart attack”The “heart attack” in which patients grab their chests and then gasp, is not always how real people experience a coronary episode. It is often difficult for doctors to determine whether a heart attack occurred.
Many heart attack patients experience symptoms similar to other conditions. A quarter of patients with heart attacks have no chest pain. Many patients have normal EKG readings. This is especially true of women who are more likely to experience symptoms related to heart attacks than men.
How can doctors diagnose a heart attack? The most important tool is the inexpensive cardiac lab test, which can be performed quickly using a blood sample. These tests detect cardiac stress and damage by measuring substances that are released into bloodstream.
Troponin is one of these cardiac markers. It can enter the bloodstream as soon as a heart attack occurs and stay there for up a week. This allows doctors to diagnose heart attacks quickly after they have occurred.
A more accurate diagnosis will result in better and faster care. Patients who have been diagnosed can be treated quickly to reduce the risk of disability or death. A better diagnosis increases the likelihood that patients with unusual symptoms will not be sent home in error. About 2 to 10% of heart attack patients are sent home from the emergency room. According to Academic Emergency Medicine, a person sent home from the hospital if their symptoms are unusual or don’t register on an EKG has a doubled chance of suffering a heart attack.
The tests can show that the patient has not suffered a heart attack and the patient can be discharged sooner. An estimated $12 billion annually is spent on improperly hospitalizing patients who don’t have a heart attack.
For more information on lab tests and how they can help diagnose heart attacks, please visit www.labresultsforlife.org.
