Quickly Seek Care in a Medical Emergency
7/26/2024
LAREDO, Texas – Knowing when and where to go for emergency care can be crucial for ensuring timely treatment and potentially saving lives. Persons with a medical emergency, such as chest pain, may be experiencing a heart attack or stroke symptoms – and getting care, without delay, will support the best possible outcome.
The Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke campaign of the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Stroke Association reinforces the critical need for stroke patients to have timely access to life-saving care. Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S.
Most recently, Laredo Medical Center received AHA’s Get With The Guidelines® - Stroke Bronze quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
“Laredo Medical Center is proud to be nationally recognized for its commitment to providing high-quality stroke care. This is a significant achievement for our hospital and we are proud of our medical staff and caregivers for their unwavering commitment to help us earn this unique distinction for the benefit of Laredo and surrounding communities,” says CEO Jorge Leal, FACHE. “Heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest symptoms are always urgent so call 911 without hesitation. Emergency workers know what to do to protect and care for you.”
Getting fast medical treatment could be the difference between life and death – so Laredo Medical Center officials ask everyone to pay attention to the signs of a health emergency and act quickly.
Know the Signs and Symptoms
Heart Attack
- Chest discomfort
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body
- Shortness of breath
- Other possible signs: cold sweat breakouts, nausea or lightheadedness
- Signs for women: chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
B.E. F.A.S.T. for Stroke
- Balance- Loss of balance/dizziness
- Eyes- Vision changes
- Face- Facial droop/severe headache
- Arms- Weakness/numbness
- Speech- Trouble speaking/confusion
- Time- Time is brain. If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get them to the hospital immediately.
Cardiac Arrest
- Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly.
- Within seconds, a person becomes unresponsive, is not breathing or is only gasping.
- Survival depends on getting immediate CPR.
- If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.
The emergency medicine team at Laredo Medical Center provides care to patients in Laredo and surrounding areas when they need it most at a hospital-based emergency room and a freestanding emergency room.
Laredo Medical Center is recognized by the Texas Department of State Health Services as a Level III trauma center with the ability to provide high-quality trauma care in a timely manner. Additionally, Laredo Medical Center is an Accredited Chest Pain Center Level v7 with Primary PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Interventions) to diagnose and care for people with heart attack symptoms, and recently achieved recertification for The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval© for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. The certification confirms that Laredo Medical Center provides life-saving medications and treatment to stroke patients at a time when every second counts.
For more information, visit https://www.laredomedical.com/emergency-department.
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