A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked. Recognizing the symptoms promptly is crucial for timely medical intervention. The following are common symptoms of a heart attack, but this list is not exhaustive - if you are ever concerned you may be having a heart attack, call 911 immediately. Medics will quickly arrive and evaluate you. 

• Chest pain or discomfort: Feels like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center or left side of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes. 
• Shortness of breath 
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, neck, back, or jaw 
• Nausea or vomiting 
• Sweating 
• Lightheadedness or dizziness 
• Rapid or irregular heartbeat 

Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. (American Stroke Association)

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts (or ruptures). When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it and brain cells die.

Use the letters in F.A.S.T. to spot a Stroke

• F = Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person's smile uneven?

• A = Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? 

• S = Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred? Are they having difficulty speaking or understanding? As them to repeat the simple phrase "You can't teach an old dog new tricks". 

• T = Time to call 911 – Stroke is an emergency. Every minute counts. Call 911 immediately. Note the time when any of the symptoms first appear.

 Other symptoms may include trouble walking, an extreme headache, or trouble seeing. 

Visit the American Stroke Association webpage for additional information on strokes. 

Sepsis is the body's extreme response to an infection. Anyone can get an infection, and any infection can lead to sepsis if left untreated. This can quickly become a life-threatening emergency. 

Some symptoms of sepsis include: 

• High heart rate or weak pulse
• Disorientation or confusion
• Extreme pain or discomfort
• Fever or feeling very cold
• Shortness of breath
• Sweaty skin

To read more about sepsis, PLEASE CLICK HERE for a guide provided by the CDC.

Advance Directives are documents that clearly state your preferences for the health care you wish to receive, or not receive. They also give someone of your choosing the authority to make decisions on your behalf if you are unable to communicate your preferences on your own when decisions must be made. South Metro Fire Rescue is committed to honoring your health care choices, but we cannot know them without these documents readily available for our first responders.
Communicating the existence of Advance Directives is just as important as filling one out, but a step often missed.

*Do not wait until an emergency to think about and discuss your health care priorities*

Here are three main steps to help you navigate the process:

1. Think carefully about the type of end-of-life care you want and who you would like to carry out your wishes.
2. Discuss your preferences with those who are important to you and will honor your choices, including your healthcare provider.
3.  Document your wishes and provide copies to anyone who needs them.

Colorado Advance Directives provides information on Medical Durable Power of Attorney, Living Will, CPR Directives, and other important documents you will potentially want as part of your Advance Directives.

Colorado's MOST form (Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment) outlines medical interventions the patient requests or refuses if something happens and they are unable to verbalize their preferences in that moment. First responders typically encounter this situation in the event of a cardiac arrest - A patient is not breathing and has no heartbeat.
First responders are required to attempt resuscitation in virtually all patients unless they have been instructed by the patient not to do so. 
 

What is CPR?
According to the CDC, more than 356,000 people have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the United States every year, and older adults have a higher risk for cardiac arrest. CPR – or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating.
Immediate CPR can double or triple the chances of survival after cardiac arrest, but people who survive CPR can also have:

• Brain injury
• Injury to internal organs
• Psychological distress, like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression

The October 2023 National Council on Aging blog post, Advance Directives: What Are They and When Should You Create One? highlights the importance of making decisions based on your unique factors:
"Depending on your age and overall health, you absolutely may want your medical team to provide it if your heart stops. On the other hand, CPR can be a particularly damaging intervention for people with age- or illness-related frailty."

Talk to your physician about your priorities while you are healthy so they can help you make the right decisions regarding your end-of-life care. South Metro wants to encourage our community to make educated decisions about their medical preferences so we can be confident that our care is exactly what the patient would have wanted. CDC Cardiac Arrest Statistics

Help Us Help You. 

Communicate your medical priorities in the midst of a medical emergency by having the hard conversations, filling out the required paperwork, and making sure it is readily available for first responders.

Colorado Medicaid members who utilize life-sustaining medical equipment can apply for a battery backup power system to power their devices during an emergency. Click here to learn more.