Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Summer 2013 - (Page 9)

FROM THE EXPERT T hough the prevalence of heart attack in young people is rare, the possibility of having one shouldn’t be ignored—especially by those with A HEAL T STARTHIER HEART S HERE The C ardia ! c Reh impro ab p v rogra es ris cardi m ovasc k factors educ for ular d ates a isea nd su have pport se and had a s peo cardi inform ple w ac ev ho ation ent. F , call or mo 443re 6432734 . biological or other risk factors. Michael Drossner, MD, cardiologist and medical director of the Upper Chesapeake cardiac catheterization laboratory, says that heart attacks “are rare, especially in women who are premenopausal, unless they have diabetes or severe hyperlipidemia (an abnormally high concentration of fats or lipids in the blood), use tobacco, or combine any of these risk factors. Lifestyle modiﬁcations such as eating right, maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure, and quitting smoking can help.” How was it possible that patient Jennifer Murray (see main story) survived after so long without a pulse? Jennifer had a cardiac arrest that was treated immediately, so her time without circulation was minimal. Circulation was maintained artiﬁcially via chest compressions for 57 minutes. Chest compressions allow the hemoglobin to transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, organs and throughout the body, and allow carbon dioxide to be transported to the lungs, where it is released. Compressions continue until the body responds to medications or electrical discharge from a deﬁbrillator. Michael Drossner, MD Dr. Drossner says that in cases of a heart attack, young people have enormous resilience. Much like Jennifer’s story, “if CPR is started immediately and properly performed, organ perfusion [circulation of blood through the organ], including brain perfusion and oxygenation, is maintained and the result can be a positive one, even after a prolonged application of CPR.” Bill Dousa, longtime EMS provider, was surprised to learn that jaw pain was the ﬁrst symptom of his heart attack. the jaw soreness returned, followed by a noticeable lag in energy. “At that point, I knew I needed to get some help and ended up at a place I know well—the Emergency Department at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. I handed it over to the experts, and I am glad I got help when I did,” Bill says. It was determined that he had, in fact, had a heart attack. Today, Bill is actively participating in Upper Chesapeake Health’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. “I appreciate being able to see immediate results in the  Download heart-healthy recipes at uchs.org/mhm and click "Guilt-Free Recipes." readings that are available to me—such as an ejection fraction, which determines how well your heart pumps with each beat,” he says. “I ﬁnd it reassuring to know that with effective rehabilitation, I can see improvement in a real way—going from a reading of “below normal” to “normal range.” uchs.org | Summer 2013 9 http://www.uchs.org http://www.uchs.org/mhm

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Summer 2013

Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Summer 2013
Contents
A Healthy Start
Matters of the Heart
We Give Parents Hope
At a Glance
Physician Update
News and Events

Maryland's Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Summer 2013