Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and, according to 2010 information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year about 785,000 Americans suffer a first heart attack, while another 470,000 who have already had a heart attack, experience another. It is vital for emergency room physicians to determine if someone has had a heart attack or if their symptoms indicate a temporary problem that is not life-threatening. There are blood tests available to help doctors make this diagnosis.
Step 1
Call 911 if you think you are having a heart attack. Have someone take you to the hospital immediately if you are not near a telephone. Symptoms of a heart attack are fatigue, a feeling that your heart is beating too fast or skipping beats, chest pain, shortness or breath or difficulty breathing, according to the American Heart Association. You do not have to experience all of the symptoms to suspect a heart attack.
Step 2
Describe your symptoms to the doctor. She will measure your blood pressure, heart rate and how fast you are breathing, as well as listen to your chest with a stethoscope. Tell her all the medications you are currently taking and if you or any family members have a history of heart problems. You will be connected to a machine that gives a live measurement of your heart rhythms.
Step 3
Consent to having your blood drawn by a phlebotomist for an enzyme test that may indicate if you have had a heart attack. He will clean an area of your skin, usually on the back of your hand or on the inside of your elbow. You do not have to be fasting for this test, which means you can eat or drink normally before having your blood drawn. The medical laboratory will measure cardiac enzymes in your blood sample.
Step 4
Review your blood test results with your doctor. Cardiac enzymes include troponin and creatine kinase. Creatine kinase, or CK MB, can tell a doctor if you have had a heart attack and whether medicines you are receiving are effectively dissolving the blood clot that caused the heart attack, according to LabTestsOnline.org. Troponin helps medical professionals determine if a heart muscle was injured during the heart attack. Heart attacks are measured by the severity of injury caused to the muscles of the heart -- a heavily damaged heart muscle may result in permanent disability or even death.
Step 5
Discuss your treatment course with your physician, including follow-up laboratory blood work, to determine if your cardiac enzymes are returning to normal. Be sure to take all medications as directed, attend any physical therapy sessions your physician may suggest and start a low fat, low sodium diet.
