Heart Attack Warning Signs – reducing delays in patient response

Did you know?

• CHD (mainly heart attack) is the single leading cause of death in Australia.
• People with CHD are at greater risk of heart attack than the general population.
• More than 50% of heart attack deaths occur before the person reaches hospital.
• Many people, including people with CHD, wait too long before seeking treatment for a heart attack.
• Mortality and morbidity associated with heart attacks in people with CHD could be substantially reduced if they recognised and acted upon the warning signs quickly.

You Can Help
The Heart Foundation has developed a range of resources to help you educate people with CHD. 

• Heart attack action plan wallet card and fact sheet for patients and their families
• Health professional fact sheet
• Checklist of important information to discuss with your patients and their families when you give them the action plan and fact sheet
• DVD on the warning signs of heart attack that you can show in your waiting room or pharmacy.
• Promotional poster.
• General information website for the public: www.heartattackfacts.org.au

To order copies of these resources, call our Health Information Service on 1300 36 27 87 or email your request.

These materials, along with education and counselling, should be given to patients before discharge from hospital following any coronary event, during cardiac rehabilitation or when they have a short acting nitrate medicine dispensed.

• Give all of your patients with CHD an action plan and fact sheet and encourage them to keep them at home and at work.
• If your patient has been prescribed nitrate medicine (GTN spray or anginine tablet), use the action plan to explain to them how to use it.
• Communicate key messages about increased risk of heart attack, the different heart attack warning signs, what to do if they experience warning signs and the importance of early treatment.
• Where possible, include the patient’s immediate family when communicating key messages. 
• Enlist the family’s support to reinforce the messages and tell the family that the patient may need help to act quickly.

If you want to give your patients more information but lack time, refer them to our Health Information Service on 1300 36 27 87.