Heart Attack Care

Every minute counts when treating a heart attack. In the Emergency Department at Bridgeport Hospital, patients are seen immediately by specially trained experts who are available around the clock, every day of the year. In fact, life-saving treatment is often started before arrival in the Emergency Department because of the protocols, communication and technologies coordinated between the emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in the local communities and Bridgeport Hospital staff.

Our sophisticated diagnostic equipment helps determine whether you are actually having a heart attack. If so, special drugs, angioplasty or stent procedures might be used to eliminate blockages or blood clots, significantly reducing damage to the heart.

An Early Cardiac Care Center

The Emergency Department at Bridgeport Hospital was the first in New England to be recognized as an Early Cardiac Care Center by the National Association of Chest Pain Emergency Rooms for its efforts to promptly diagnose and treat heart attacks. Emergency physicians work directly with EMTs in the field to identify acute heart attacks and send patients directly to one of our catheterization laboratories for treatment.

Bridgeport Hospital consistently meets the Joint Commission’s 90-minute guideline for door-to-balloon time. Patients experiencing a major heart attack can expect to receive life-saving treatment in 90 minutes or less—100% of the time—upon arrival to Bridgeport Hospital.