MMH Quality & Core Measure Update

Heart Failure

AMI (Heart Attack)

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Heart attack (AMI) occurs when the blood vessels supplying the heart with oxygen, become clogged, either by blood clots or plaques. Once the blood flow has been interrupted, the heart muscle begins to die. If blood flow is not restored within a brief time frame, irreversible damage to the heart muscle will begin to occur, which frequently leads to death. Every year in the US, 1 million people will have acute myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) and of those people, 400,000 die. The goal of care is to immediately treat patients showing signs and symptoms of heart attack and once diagnosed, to restore blood flow within 30-60 minutes. At MMH, our goal is to provide immediate life saving treatment and if necessary, use our Cardiac Cath Lab to provide a more definitive treatment.

About the data below:
Below you will see  MMH's performance in the Core Measures relating to AMI (Heart Attack). Above each graph (or sections of graphs), you'll also find helpful definitions and information that can help you understand the data presented. In the upper right-hand corner of each, you will notice a colored octagon-- this is our "stop-sign" system for a quick glance at how we are doing: Green = Meeting Identified Goal of Compliance for Most Current Month; Red = Not Meeting Identified Goal for Most Current Month; No Color Indicates No Data for the Current Month (it is not unusual for a small hospital to have "no data" on a particular indicator due to the small number of cases seen at the facility).

ASPIRIN AT ARRIVAL: A higher number is better.

 

What this means:
This measure shows the percentage of heart attack patients who receive aspirin within 24 hrs of arrival at hospital.

Why this is important:
Aspirin is a drug that can help reduce the severity of the heart attack and improve survival rates by lowering the tendency of blood to clot in the vessels.

 

 

 

ASPIRIN PRESCRIBED AT DISCHARGE: A higher number is better.

What this means:
This measure shows how often aspirin was prescribed to heart attack patients at the time they discharged from the hospital.

Why this is important:
Aspirin is a drug that can help improve survival rates by lowering the tendency of blood to clot in the vessels.

 

 

 

ACE INHIBITOR, or ARB PRESCRIBED FOR

LVSD (left ventricular systolic dysfunction):   A higher number is better.

 

What this means:
ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors and ARBs(angiotensin receptor blockers) are medicines used in Heart attack, high blood pressure and heart failure.  They are also frequently used for a condition called ‘systolic dysfuntion’, which is A decrease in the function of the left side of the heart. This measure shows the percentage of heart attack patients prescribed these drugs at discharge from hospital.  Heart attack patients are prescribed this medicine to help improve the pumping of the heart.

Why this is important:
Patients who have had heart attacks can have better results if they take this medicine.

 

 

ADULT SMOKING CESSATION ADVICE/COUNSELING PROVIDED: A higher number is better.

What this means:
This measure shows how well a hospital documents the education given to heart attack patients regarding smoking cessation.

Why this is important:
Smoking is known to cause damage to the heart, the lungs and the circulatory system.  Smoking makes heart disease worse.

 

 

BETA BLOCKER PRESCRIBED AT ARRIVAL: A higher score is better.

What this means:
This measure shows the percentage of patients with heart attacks that have been prescribed a medicine called a beta blocker, within 24 hours after arrival at the hospital.

 

Why this is important:
This medicine can help reduce the amount of damage to the heart muscle in heart attack patients.