Heart attack patients given aspirin at discharge
Blood clots can block blood vessels. Aspirin can help prevent blood clots from forming or help dissolve blood clots that have formed. Following a heart attack, continued use of aspirin may help reduce the risk of another heart attack.
Aspirin can cause side effects like stomach inflammation, bleeding, or allergic reactions. Talk to your health care provider before using aspirin on a regular basis to make sure it’s safe for you.
Higher percentages are better.
Heart attack patients given a prescription for a Statin at discharge
Statins are drugs used to lower cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fat (also called a lipid) that your body needs to work properly. Cholesterol levels that are too high can increase your chance of getting heart disease, stroke, and other problems. For patients who have had one or more heart attacks and have high cholesterol, taking statins can lower the chance that they’ll have another heart attack or die.
This measure shows the percent of patients who had a heart attack who got a prescription for a statin drug before discharge from the hospital. Patients who shouldn’t take statins aren’t included in this measure.
Higher numbers are better.
Heart attack patients given PCI within 90 minutes of arrival
The heart is a muscle; blood vessels carry oxygen to the heart.. Sometimes blood clots block these blood vessels, and the heart cannot get enough oxygen. This can cause a heart attack.
Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) are procedures that are among the most effective at opening blocked blood vessels and thus preventing further heart muscle damage. A PCI is performed by a doctor. Improving blood flow to your heart as quickly as possible lessens the damage to your heart muscle. It also can increase your chances of surviving a heart attack.
There are three procedures commonly described by the term PCI. These procedures all involve a catheter (a flexible tube) that is inserted, often through your leg, and guided through the blood vessels to the blockage. The three procedures are:
- Angioplasty - a balloon is inflated to open the blood vessel.
- Stenting - a small wire tube called a stent is placed in the blood to hold it open.
- Atherectomy - a blade or laser cuts through and removes the blockage.
Higher percentages are better.
Heart failure patients given discharge instructions
Heart failure is a chronic condition. It results in symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, and fatigue.
Before you leave the hospital, the staff at the hospital should provide you with information to help you manage the symptoms after you get home. The information should include your:
- Activity level (what you can and can't do);
- Diet (what you should, and shouldn't eat or drink);
- Medications;
- Follow-up appointment;
- Watching your daily weight; and
- What to do if your symptoms get worse.
Higher percentages are better.
Heart failure patients given an evaluation of Left Ventricular Systolic (LVS) function
The proper treatment for heart failure depends on what area of your heart is affected.
An important test is to check how your heart is pumping, called an "evaluation of the left ventricular systolic function." It can tell your health care provider whether the left side of your heart is pumping properly. Other ways to check on how your heart is pumping include:
- Your medical history
- A physical examination
- Listening to your heart sounds; and
- Other tests as ordered by a physician (like an ECG (electrocardiogram), chest x-ray, blood work, and an echocardiogram)
Higher percentages are better.
Heart failure patients given ACE inhibitor or ARB for Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD)
ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors and ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) are medicines used to treat patients with heart failure and are particularly beneficial in those patients with decreased function of the left side of the heart.
Early treatment with ACE inhibitors and ARBs in patients who have heart failure symptoms or decreased heart function after a heart attack can also reduce their risk of death from future heart attacks. ACE inhibitors and ARBs work by limiting the effects of a hormone that narrows blood vessels, and may thus lower blood pressure and reduce the work the heart has to perform.
Since the ways in which these two kinds of drugs work are different, your doctor will decide which drug is most appropriate for you. If you have a heart attack and/or heart failure, you should get a prescription for ACE inhibitors or ARBs if you have decreased heart function before you leave the hospital.
Higher percentages are better.
The following measures represent the best practices for treating pneumonia.
Performing a blood culture prior to the administration of the first hospital dose of antibiotics
Different types of bacteria can cause pneumonia.
A blood culture is a test that can help a healthcare provider identify which bacteria may have caused the pneumonia, and which antibiotic should be prescribed. A blood culture is not always needed, but for patients who are first seen in the hospital emergency department, it is important for the accuracy of the test that blood culture be conducted before any antibiotics are started. It is also important to start antibiotics as soon as possible.
Higher percentages are better.
Giving patients with pneumonia the most appropriate initial antibiotic(s)
Pneumonia is a lung infection that is usually caused by bacteria or a virus. If pneumonia is caused by bacteria, hospitals will treat the infection with antibiotics. Different bacteria are treated with different antibiotics.
To learn about how hospitals use a blood test to choose the most effective treatment for pneumonia patients, refer to the measure named Pneumonia Patients Whose Initial Emergency Room Blood Culture Was Performed Prior To The Administration Of The First Hospital Dose Of Antibiotics.
Higher percentages are better.
