The Chest Pain Center team at Buffalo General Hospital is ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to take care of you:

• Timely, quality treatment for patients with heart attack symptoms
• State-of-the-art technology for diagnosis and treatment
• Multidisciplinary team trained in cardiac care

Point of Entry – The Emergency Department

Because every minute counts when someone is experiencing chest pain symptoms, the point of entry for chest pain patients is the hospital’s Emergency Department.

The Chest Pain Center's Mission

To provide highly specialized quality care, rapid assessment and treatment of patients who arrive at the Emergency Room with symptoms commonly associated with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), often called heart attack.

Chest pain? Find out why it hurts...

More than five million Americans visit hospital emergency rooms each year with chest pain. It can be intense and occur suddenly, or it can be experienced slowly over time with mild discomfort.

Although it is serious and can be very frightening, chest pain isn’t always heart stopping. That’s why finding out the reason chest pain is occurring is so important. The majority of people experiencing chest pain are generally not having a heart attack, but every minute saved for those who are having a heart attack saves valuable heart muscle that can never be regained once lost.

If you are experiencing chest pain, or any of the symptoms below, you should call 911 and go to the Chest Pain Center (CPC) at Buffalo General Hospital right away!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is acute coronary syndrome (ACS)?
Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) is a medical term. It refers to the circumstances that occur when fatty deposits lining the arteries supplying the heart with oxygen break off and plug up the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle, starting the process that can evolve into a heart attack or "myocardial infarction." ACS requires immediate medical attention, since current treatments can often limit or reverse possible damage to the heart muscle.

Symptoms of ACS
Chest pain/discomfort at rest or during mild exertion is the most common and major symptom of ACS.

Other common symptoms: shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, sweating, palpitations, anxiety or sense of impending doom, a feeling of being acutely ill, pain or discomfort in one or both arms, shoulders, the back, the neck, the jaw or stomach.

Many patients do not describe their symptoms as chest “pain” but rather as “discomfort,” which may include, chest pressure, heaviness, a squeezing sensation or tightness in the chest, or even a burning sensation in the pit of the stomach that persist for 15 minutes or longer.

How is it diagnosed and treated?
When patients arrive at the Buffalo General Hospital Chest Pain Center, they are rapidly assessed by emergency personnel and heart specialists."Rapid Assessment" involves having blood tests to check for heart muscle damage, a physical examination, and discussion about symptoms and medical history. An ECG (electrocardiogram) is performed to help determine diagnoses, while appropriate pain management is started immediately. Such prompt treatment can relieve symptoms and reduce possible damage to the heart. These treatments may involve painkillers, oxygen, aspirin, and nitroglycerin to ease chest pain. (Depending on test results, patients may require more intensive procedures.)

What should I do if I have chest discomfort?
Chest pain or discomfort should never be ignored, especially if you have coronary heart disease.The discomfort might feel like a tightness or heaviness around the center of the chest, but may also spread to the back and both arms (particularly the left), jaw, throat, neck and stomach.

Important: If you have chest discomfort for longer than 15 minutes and it doesn’t go away when you rest, then you should immediately call 911 and go to the Chest Pain Center at Buffalo General Hospital (enter at the Emergency Room).

Women & Heart Disease

One of the most common mistakes people make about heart disease is in thinking that it primarily affects men. Believe it or not, heart disease kills more women than men every year. In fact, it is the #1 killer of women in the United States.

At Buffalo General Hospital, we recognize that women across the nation don't take their risk of heart disease seriously—or personally. Women often fail to make the connection between risk factors and their own chance of developing heart disease.

Experts of our Chest Pain Center have provided the following information to encourage women to talk to their doctors about their risk of developing heart disease – but more importantly – to do something to lower that risk.

Symptoms of Heart Disease — For Women
Women may experience early symptoms of heart disease differently than men. The symptoms in women can be far subtler, which means it is even more important to pay close attention to the signs and seek medical attention right away.

• Shortness of breath, often without chest pain of any kind
• Flu-like symptoms — specifically nausea, clamminess or cold sweats
• Unexplained fatigue, weakness or dizziness
• Pain in the chest, upper back, shoulders, neck, or jaw
• Feelings of anxiety, loss of appetite, discomfort

Call your doctor if these symptoms persist, or call 911 and go to the emergency room at Buffalo General Hospital for the highly specialized care provided by our Chest Pain Center.

Note: Individual symptoms, situations, and circumstances may vary. The information provided is not intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment, or as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Risk Factors of Heart Disease – For Women
Risk factors are conditions or habits that make a person more likely to develop a disease. They can also increase the chances that an existing disease will get worse.

Unfortunately, most women fail to make the connection between risk factors and their personal risk of developing heart disease. Below are risk factors we hope you’ll pay attention to and talk to your doctor about.

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Being overweight
• A family history of heart disease
• Not physically active
• Under stress
• Are postmenopausal or over the age of 55

Changing Habits To Lower Risk of Heart Disease – For Women
Some risk factors, such as age and family history of early heart disease, can't be changed. Fortunately, there are many risk factors that can be changed.

Women who have gone through early menopause, either naturally or because they have had a hysterectomy, are twice as likely to develop heart disease as women of the same age who have not yet gone through menopause. If someone in you immediate family had a heart attack before age 55, you are more likely to get heart disease yourself.

Regardless of your age, background, or health status, you can lower your risk of heart disease. Protecting your heart can be as simple as taking a walk, eating healthier, stopping smoking or reducing the amount of stress in your life. Your best chance to reduce your risk of heart disease – address all of your risk factors.

For further information about the prevention of heart attacks and heart disease contact:

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
www.nhlbi.nih.gov
Phone: (301) 592-8573

American Heart Association
www.americanheart.org
Phone: (800) AHA-USA1 (242-8721)