Heart Attack Facts

Overall Score

The Overall Heart Attack Score summarizes the 7 heart attack measures.

Aspirin at Arrival

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of heart attack patients who received aspirin within 24 hours before or after hospital arrival.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because taking aspirin as soon as symptoms of a heart attack begin may reduce the severity of the attack. Aspirin can help prevent or dissolve existing blood clots. Continued use of aspirin may help reduce the risk of another heart attack.

Aspirin at Discharge

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of heart attack patients prescribed aspirin at discharge from the hospital.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because aspirin can help prevent or dissolve existing blood clots. Continued use of aspirin may help reduce the risk of another heart attack.

Beta Blocker at Arrival

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of heart attack patients given a beta blocker within 24 hours of hospital arrival.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANTbecause beta blockers are medicines that lower blood pressure, treat chest pain (angina) and heart failure, and help prevent heart attacks. Beta blockers relieve the stress on the heart by slowing the heart rate and reducing the force with which the heart contracts to pump blood. They also help keep blood vessels throughout the entire body from constricting.

Beta Blocker at Discharge

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOUthe percent of heart attack patients prescribed a beta blocker at discharge from the hospital.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because beta blockers are medicines that lower blood pressure, treat chest pain (angina) and heart failure, and help prevent heart attacks. Beta blockers relieve the stress on the heart by slowing the heart rate and reducing the force with which the heart contracts to pump blood. They also help keep blood vessels throughout the body from constricting.

ACE Inhibitor or ARB at Discharge

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of heart attack patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) who were prescribed an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) at discharge from the hospital.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because ACE inhibitors and ARBs are medicines that can help reduce the risk of death after a heart attack. Continued use may help prevent heart failure. ACE inhibitors and ARBs modify the effects of hormones (angiotensin II) that regulate blood pressure and influence the healing process of the heart. They are prescribed to lower blood pressure and thus lessen the workload of the heart.

Smoking Cessation Advice

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of heart attack patients with a history of smoking cigarettes who received advice before discharge from the hospital on how to quit smoking.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because smoking is linked to heart attacks. Quitting may help prevent another one.

PCI within Time Lines

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOUthe percent of heart attack patients who underwent angioplasty, or a Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), within specified time lines after arrival at a hospital.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because PCI is a procedure to open the blocked blood vessels, re-establishing the blood supply to the heart muscle. It involves inserting a catheter (a flexible tube) often through the leg. Increasingly, cardiologists choose to do a PCI instead of prescribing clot-dissolving medication. However, PCI is not available at every general hospital in New Jersey.

Pneumonia Facts

Overall Score

The Overall Pneumonia Score summarizes the 7 pneumonia measures.

Oxygenation Assessment

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU what percent of pneumonia patients had their oxygen level checked within 24 hours of hospital arrival.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because measuring the amount of oxygen in your blood determines if you need oxygen therapy. Pneumonia can lower the oxygen in your blood because the air spaces in your lungs fill with fluid, and the oxygen you breathe does not enter your bloodstream. The assessment may include an ABG (arterial blood gas) or pulse oximetry (electrodes attached to a part of your body).

Pneumonia Vaccination

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of pneumonia patients 65 years of age and older who were assessed for and, if needed, given the pneumonia vaccine before discharge from the hospital.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because a pneumonia vaccination may help prevent future bacterial pneumonia and also lower the risk of complications.

Influenza Vaccination

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of pneumonia patients 50 years of age and older who were assessed for and given, if needed, the influenza vaccine before discharge from the hospital during the flu season.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because flu shots are highly effective in preventing influenza-related pneumonia, a serious and sometimes deadly lung infection that is highly contagious. Patients 50 years old or older are particularly vulnerable, and getting the flu shot during flu season helps protect them from another lung infection and prevent the spread of influenza.

Antibiotic Timing

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of pneumonia patients who received an antibiotic within 6 hours of hospital arrival.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because early antibiotic treatment can cure bacterial pneumonia quickly and reduce the possibility of complications. However, there is controversy about the desirability of hospitals achieving a 100% score on this measure. Pneumonia can be difficult to diagnose quickly, and there is some concern that this measure provides hospitals an inappropriate incentive to use antibiotics for all potential pneumonia patients before making a firm diagnosis. Overuse of antibiotics reduces quality of health care since it can result in bacterial resistance to these antibiotics.

Antibiotic Selection

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of pneumonia patients who received the most appropriate initial antibiotic.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because different antibiotics treat specific bacterial infections. The initial antibiotic selection should be the best treatment choice for that type of pneumonia.

Blood Culture before Initial Antibiotic

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of pneumonia patients in the hospital who had their blood taken and cultured in the Emergency Department before receiving their first antibiotic.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because a blood culture indicates which antibiotic will work best to treat that particular type of bacterial pneumonia.

Smoking Cessation Advice

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of pneumonia patients with a history of smoking cigarettes who received advice before discharge from the hospital on how to quit smoking.
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because smoking may increase the severity of your pneumonia and make it more difficult to recover. Quitting may help improve your condition.

Heart Failure Facts

Overall Score

The Overall Heart Failure Score summarizes the 4 heart failure measures.

Left Ventricular Systolic (LVS) Function Assessment

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of heart failure patients who had their LVS function evaluated before hospital arrival, during hospitalization, or had a test planned following discharge.
  
  
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because an assessment of your heart’s left side, the main pumping chamber, is needed to determine how well your heart is pumping. Results help determine appropriate treatment.
  

ACE Inhibitor or ARB at Discharge

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of heart failure patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) prescribed an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) at discharge from the hospital.
  
  
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because ACE inhibitors and ARBs are medicines that modify the effects of hormones that regulate blood pressure and influence the healing process of the heart. Since these two drugs work differently, your doctor will decide which drug is most appropriate for you.

Discharge Instructions

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of patients who received written instructions or educational material at hospital discharge addressing: activity level, diet, discharge medications, follow-up appointment, weight monitoring, and instructions if symptoms worsen.
  
  
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because heart failure is a chronic condition which must be managed closely to prevent repeat hospitalizations and further damage to the heart and other organs.

Smoking Cessation Advice

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of heart failure patients with a history of smoking cigarettes who received advice on how to quit smoking before hospital discharge.
  
  
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because smoking increases your risk for developing blood clots and further heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks, heart failure or stroke. Smoking causes blood vessels to thicken making it harder for blood to flow to the heart.

Surgical Infection Prevention

Overall Score

The Overall Surgical Care Improvement Score summarizes all surgical care measures except VTE Prophylaxis Ordered.

Preventive Antibiotic Started 1 Hour Before Surgery

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of eligible patients who received prophylactic or preventive antibiotics within one hour prior to surgical incision.
  
  
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because surgery patients given antibiotics, medicines that prevent and treat infections, within the hour before their operation are less likely to get wound infections. Getting an antibiotic over an hour earlier or after surgery begins is not as effective.

Preventive Antibiotic Stopped Within 24 Hours

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of eligible surgical patients whose prophylactic or preventive antibiotics were stopped within 24 hours after surgery ended (or 48 hours after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft or other cardiac surgery). Antibiotics are medicines that prevent and treat infections.
  
  
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because taking antibiotics for more than 24 hours after routine surgery is usually not necessary and can increase the risk of side effects, such as stomach aches, serious types of diarrhea, and resistance to the antibiotic (the use of too much antibiotic can prevent them from being effective). There are, however, exceptions. If the surgical site has been contaminated, there may be a need for additional antibiotics after 24 hours. Talk to your doctor to determine how long you should take antibiotics after surgery.

Appropriate Antibiotic Received

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of surgery patients who received the appropriate preventive antibiotic(s) for their surgery in order to prevent a surgical wound infection.
  
  
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because certain antibiotics are recommended to help prevent wound infection for particular types of surgery. Hospitals can reduce the risk of wound infection after surgery by making sure the patient gets the right medication at the right time on the day of their surgery.

Treatment Preventing Blood Clots (VTEs) Ordered

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of patients with certain types of surgeries whose doctors ordered treatments to prevent blood clots, called venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis, anytime from hospital arrival to 48 hours after surgery has ended.
  
  
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because venous thrombosis is a condition in which a blood clot (thrombus) forms in the vein, limiting blood flow, causing swelling, redness and pain. If the clot breaks off (embolus), it can lodge itself in the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism, which can lead to death. Doctors can order preventive treatments called prophylaxis to reduce the risk. These treatments may include blood thinning medications, elastic support stockings, or mechanical air stockings that promote blood circulation.

Treatment Preventing Blood Clots (VTEs) Received

• THIS SCORE TELLS YOU the percent of patients who received the appropriate treatment to prevent blood clots called venous thromboembolism (VTE) at the right time.
  
  
• THIS INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT because venous thrombosis is a condition in which blood clots (thrombus) form in the vein, usually in the leg, thigh or pelvis, and may limit blood flow, causing swelling, redness and pain. If the clot breaks off, it can lodge itself in the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism, which can lead to death. Doctors can order preventive treatments to reduce the risk. These treatments may include blood thinning medications, elastic support stockings, or mechanical air stockings that promote blood circulation.