THE RIGHT HOSPITAL CAN  MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

     New research shows that it’s more critical to get heart-attack victims to a hospital that performs angioplasty – even if it means delaying treatment for a couple of hours.  This defies conventional wisdom that has long held that the top priority in caring for heart-attack patients is to treat them as soon as possible.

    According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, patients who received angioplasty – where blocked arteries are cleared using a balloon-like device – were far less likely to suffer a second heart attack than patients who got a different treatment at local hospitals.

    While many urban hospitals offer angioplasty, the majority of U.S. hospitals do not, and instead treat heart attack victims with clot-removing drugs, aspirin and beta blockers. 

   Therefore, its important to find out if the hospitals in your area offer around-the-clock angioplasty care and how many procedures each hospital performs.  Studies show that the best results are achieved at high-volume facilities.

     Its also important to find out whether local ambulance services will take you to a hospital that offers angioplasty, even if its not the closest facility.

     As always, an educated consumer gets the best medical care.