The Chest Pain Center at GAMC

Glendale Adventist Medical Center is pleased to announce that it is the newest accredited Chest Pain Center in the region.

Chest pain is a warning sign of a heart attack. That means your life may depend on getting the right kind of medical care fast. Fortunately, residents of Glendale and the surrounding area have a Chest Pain Center nearby, at Glendale Adventist Medical Center. Learn more about the Glendale Adventist Chest Pain Center in this short video.

What is a Chest Pain Center?

The Chest Pain Center isn't a building or even a department. It's an accreditation awarded to a handful of U.S. hospitals by the Society of Chest Pain Centers. This accreditation means that Glendale Adventist has met the society's strict requirements for everything from treatment facility design to specialized training of emergency personnel to timely diagnosis and treatment, including angioplasty.

Glendale Adventist has been awarded Cycle III Chest Pain Center accreditation---the highest accreditation possible for the treatment of chest pain.

Know the Warning Signs

Advanced facilities, technology and procedures only have value if the patient gets to them in time. That's why it's so important to seek medical immediately if you experience the warning signs of heart attack:

• Chest discomfort: Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath may occur with or without chest discomfort.
• Cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

For both men and women, the most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. However, women are more likely than men to experience shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, back or jaw pain, fatigue or palpitations.

Get Help Immediately 

If the source of your chest pain is an impending heart attack, your best chance for a positive outcome is to seek emergency treatment immediately. Angioplasty, clot-busting drugs and other treatments work best if they are administered within 30 to 90 minutes from the start of symptoms. The best way to get help fast is to call 911---never attempt to drive yourself. Even if you're uncertain about whether your symptoms are warning signs of heart attack or not, call anyway. Don't wait more than five minutes. Every second you wait delays treatment. Dr. Thanh Nguyen, Medical Director of the Chest Pain Center offers a few tips of advice.

Click here or call (818) 409-8100 to learn more about the services at the Heart & Vascular Institute.