When you have chest pain, our highly skilled and expertly trained emergency personnel will perform tests to see if your pain is being caused by a heart attack. Within minutes, you'll be given an EKG and be evaluated.

If we find that you are having a heart attack, life-saving treatment will begin immediately.

If the cause of your pain is uncertain, we'll keep you under observation and do further evaluation to determine the cause and significance of your symptoms.

Heart Attack Warning Signs

Half of all people who have heart attacks wait two hours or more before seeking treatment. And half — 300,000 Americans each year — die before reaching the hospital. A heart attack occurs when arteries supplying your heart with blood and oxygen become blocked. With each passing minute, more tissue is deprived of oxygen and deteriorates or dies. Restoring blood flow within the first hour when most damage occurs is critical to survival.

The American Heart Association lists the following warning signs of a heart attack. Be aware that you may not have them at all and that symptoms may come and go.

• Uncomfortable pressure, fullness or squeezing pain the center of your chest, lasting more than a few minutes
• Pain spreading to your shoulders, neck or arms
• Light-headedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath

Whether you suspect a heart attack of think it's just indigestion, act immediately:

• Call 911 first.
• Sit quietly or lie down if you are feeling faint. Breathe slowly and deeply.
• Chew an aspirin, unless you are allergic to it.