heartburn+actually+heart+attack

=Heartburn that turns out to be a heart attack=

//70 year old woman asks for Mylanta to treat her heartburn. What do you do?//

Problem
Symptoms of heartburn are similar to a heart attack. You must be able to determine whether she has signs of a possible myocardial infarction.

What to do
Ask about her symptoms: - How long have you had this? //recent onset is a bad sign// - Where is the pain? //if the pain is spreading to the neck or throat, or down the arms (commonly the left), then that may be a sign of a heart attack -// What medications are you on? //this can help determine if she has risk factors for MI (taking medications for hypertension etc.). It may also determine what actions you can take to help treat her (cannot give aspirin if they are an asthmatic)//

Once you suspect a heart attack, you should immediately ring the ambulance, possibly even before asking other questions to confirm it. Ask if she takes any medications that she sprays under her tongue (Glyceryl Trinitrate - GTN), as this can help improve blood supply to the heart. Before giving her chewable aspirin, make sure she does not have an allergy to aspirin, and is not asthmatic (aspirin-induced asthma).

Resources
[|Better Health - Chest pain] [|Better Health - Heart Attack Explained]