Services
Cardiology
Cardiologists
The majority of area patients requiring cardiac care
utilize North Central Heart. FAMC utilizes the cardiology consultation
services of North Central Heart with an outreach clinic held locally once a month.
Cardiac
Rehabilitation
Cardiac Rehabilitation has been shown to be a safe,
effective treatment for people with heart disease and for those at high risk of
developing heart disease.
Our Phase II
program is designed for people who have myocardial infarction (heart attack),
coronary artery bypass graft surgery, or other cardiac surgery, angina pectoris,
PTCA (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and stents), congestive
heart failure, or other cardiac related problems.
The
exercise portion of this program starts approximately one week following
discharge from the hospital. All exercise programs are developed for the
individual participant based on their response to activity. Blood
pressures and heart rhythms are monitored during each exercise session.
This program may last up to 12 weeks.
The
goals of our Phase II Cardiac Rehabilitation are to:
1. Decrease your risk of future cardiac problems.
2. Assist you in developing a healthier life style.
3. Improve your ability to function.
4. Provide your physician with information about your
progress in the program.
5. Facilitate a safe, confident transition back to your
usual daily activities.
State of the art
equipment is utilized in our program. The FAMC Foundation graciously
purchased the NuStep exercise machine. A $20,000 grant from the South
Dakota Department of Health was utilized to purchase the ScottCare TeleRehab
Advantage system, the top-rated cardiopulmonary rehabilitation system in the
nation.
Registered nurses providing cardiac
rehabilitation belong to the Upper Plains Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation
Association (UPCRA). Belonging to this organization allows us to receive
current and ongoing education and to incorporate national standards into
our program.
Heart
Attack Warning Sign
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense--a person dramatically gasps, clutches
his or her heart and drops to the ground, and no one doubts what is happening.
Most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often the
people affected are not sure what is wrong and they wait too long before getting help.
Listed
below are some of the signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:
Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the
chest that lasts more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. It
can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or
discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath. This feeling often comes along with chest discomfort but
it can occur before the chest discomfort.
Other signs. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or
lightheadedness.
If you or someone you are with has chest discomfort, especially with one or more
of the other signs, don't wait longer than 5 minutes before calling for help.
Call 911 and get to a hospital right away.
New treatments for heart attacks are only effective within a few hours of the
onset of symptoms. Every minutes counts!
Note what time the first symptom started. You'll be asked this important
question later.
If directed by your physician, take an aspirin as soon as warning signs of heart
attack occur, unless an allergy to aspirin or other condition makes using it too
risky.
Calling 911 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment.
Emergency medical service (EMS) staff can begin treatment when they arrive--up to
an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. The staff is trained
to revive someone whose heart has stopped (cardiac arrest).
If you can not access the EMS, have someone drive you to the hospital right away.
If you are the one having symptoms, do not drive yourself, unless you have
absolutely no other option.
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