Chest& Pain Center
If you or someone you're with has chest discomfort or is experiencing symptoms similar to a prior cardiac event call 9-1-1 immediately. NEVER drive yourself.
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Shady Grove Adventist Hospital is accredited as a Cycle III Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). Shady Grove is one of only five hospitals in Maryland to hold this higher designation and is the first in Montgomery County and the Washington, DC metro area to achieve this status. This means that our patient care procedures have been approved and recognized as exceeding the rigid standards set by the national Society of Chest Pain Centers and Providers.
In order to achieve Chest Pain Center status, our hospital had to successfully satisfy the Society's requirements in the following five areas:
- Clinical Processes
- Quality of Care
- Competency and ongoing training of staff and physicians
- Interaction with EMS
- Community education
Our approach allows physicians to reduce time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack, when treatments are most effective. All of our Center employees have received intensive training in recognizing the symptoms of Acute Coronary Symptoms (ACS) and have implemented a process to streamline our patient's path to care. The standardized procedures ensure that all patients presenting with a potential heart attack symptom undergo the same screening process, including an EKG within 10 minutes of a patient’s arrival.
Know the Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of a heart attack can vary for everyone and are different for men and women.
Symptoms for Men
- Chest pain, usually in the center of the chest or radiating to left arm
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling of doom
- Pass out or nearly pass out
- Sweating
Symptoms for Women
- Chest pain, usually in the center of the chest or radiating to left arm
- Shortness of breath-with or without chest pain
- Sweating-with or without chest pain
- Feeling of doom
- Pass out or nearly pass out
- Neck and jaw pain or discomfort
If you experience any or all of the above symptoms, call 911. Never drive yourself or have a family member drive you to the Emergency Room when you have these symptoms.
Know/Get Answers
When being examined for chest pain, you may be asked the following questions:
- What are your symptoms?
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- Have your symptoms gotten worse over time?
- Where does your pain seem to start?
- Does your pain radiate to any other parts of your body?
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View Additional Questions
If you haven't received the following information, you may also want to ask:
- What is likely causing my symptoms or condition?
- Are there other possible causes for my symptoms or condition?
- What kinds of tests do I need?
- Do I need to be hospitalized?
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View Additional Questions
Tests
Tests used to diagnose a heart attack include:
Non-cardiac Causes
Fortunately, chest pain doesn't always signal a heart attack. Often chest pain is unrelated to any heart problem. But even if the chest pain you experience has nothing to do with your cardiovascular system, the problem may still be important - and worth the time spent in an emergency room for evaluation. Learn More About Noncardiac Causes of Chest Pain
Adventist HealthCare, an integrated, health-care delivery organization based in Rockville, MD, is a non-profit network of healthcare providers that includes hospitals, home health agencies, and other healthcare services. We invite you to explore Adventist HealthCare: