Recent Articles & News:
- May 2012 Newsletter
- SCPC Visits Guangzhou Military Hospital in China
- Statistics Part 3: What are the Odds?
- Congratulations to the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals
- Dr. Bahr: The Power of An Idea
- Are you attending any of these conferences? Visit with us!
- SCPC Supports the Yale Heart Study!
- Congratulations to the Accredited Hospitals in the Top 100
Discover the SCPC:
- Learn how to become accredited
- Detect the early signs of a heart attack
- Purchase your Accreditation Toolkit
- Find an accredited center near you
Learn about our Mission:
Meet our Experts
Donna Hunn, MAN, RN, MSc, ANP-C is an Accreditation Clinical Manager with the Society of Chest Pain Centers, and has been invited to speak at the Cardiovascular Professionals’ Symposium for Nurses and Techs at Cardiovascular Research Technologies (CRT) 2012, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel February 5th in Washington DC.
CRT is an international meeting focusing on the advances and changes in the field of cardiovascular medicine while maintaining a longstanding commitment to therapeutic innovation, evidence-based medicine and dedication to putting patients first.
National Heart Failure Awareness - Take the Challenge!
This information was contributed by Donna Hunn, MAN, RN, MSc, ANP-C and Accreditation Clinical Manager at the Society of Chest Pain Centers
What is Heart Failure (HF)?
Heart failure is a progressive condition in which the heart's muscle becomes weakened after it is injured from something like a heart attack or high blood pressure and gradually loses its ability to pump enough blood to supply the body's needs. Many people don't even know they have it because its symptoms are often mistaken for signs of getting older. Heart failure does not develop overnight - it's a progressive disease that starts slowly and gets worse over time.
Did you know?
- Heart Failure (HF) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the US.
- 5.8 million people in the US have HF - 3.1 million men & 2.7 million women
- An estimated 400,000-700,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed each year
- HF is responsible for 6.5 million hospital days annually
Can you take the challenge?
In accordance with published guidelines, HF patients are required to maintain a sodium intake below 2000 mg/day. This restriction often requires considerable effort. Eating in restaurants often causes difficulty as the majority of restaurant food is salted.
To maintain a low sodium diet, one needs to scrutinize the “Nutrition Facts” found on food labels.
How is Sodium Listed on the Label?
The amount of sodium in a serving of food is listed in milligrams (mg) and as a percent of the Daily Value on the nutrition label. Remember, this is the sodium content found in a single serving, not the whole package.
Are you willing to take a “Sodium Challenge”? Are you heart smart?
Which item is higher in sodium?
(We publish the answers, so we make it easy)
- 10 potato chips or 1 cup canned chicken noodle soup? (94mg vs 1106mg)
- 1 tbsp salted butter or 1 tbsp ketchup? (116mg vs 156mg)
- 1 dill pickle or 1 cup of parmesan cheese? (928mg vs 1861mg)
- 1 cup self-rising flour or 10 saltine crackers? (1600mg vs 700mg)
Does this information surprise you?
SCPC - Because every heart matters
The Society of Chest Pain Centers promotes early symptom recognition. It is understood that heart attack symptoms may appear days or even weeks before an actual cardiac event. Through the Society’s “Early Heart Attack Care” (EHAC) initiative, both clinicians and patients alike are encouraged to recognize these early signs, in themselves and in others, and pursue treatment before an actual heart attack occurs. The EHAC initiative endeavors to provide pertinent education related to early symptom recognition and asks that everyone join in this initiative in order to save lives by committing to this cause.