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Quality and Safety

Heart Attack Patients Given Aspirin at Arrival

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InstitutionRating
U.S. Average194%
N.C. Average294%
Top Hospitals3100%
Duke Raleigh Hospital100%
Duke University Hospital99%
Durham Regional Hospital99%

The rates displayed in this graph are for discharges October 2007 through September 2008. Source: hospitalcompare.hhs.gov
(1) The U.S. average includes all reporting hospitals in the United States.
(2) The N.C. average includes all reporting hospitals in the state of North Carolina.
(3) "Top Hospitals" represent the top 10% of hospitals nationwide. These hospitals achieved 100% on this measure.

What Does This Measure?

The percentage of eligible heart attack patients who received aspirin within 24 hours of their arrival at the hospital.

Why Is This Important?

Heart attacks often occur when blood clots cause blockages in blood vessels, depriving the heart of sufficient oxygen.

Although it is not appropriate for all patients, aspirin is a safe and effective way to prevent blood clots and dissolve blood clots that have already formed. Chewing an aspirin at the onset of heart attack symptoms may help reduce the severity of an attack.

What Are We Doing to Improve Our Performance?

Duke has enacted several initiatives to improve our performance. These include:

More Information

About This Page

Published: Mar. 6, 2008
Updated: June 19, 2008
URL: http://www.dukehealth.org/about_duke/quality/performance_measures/heart_attack/aspirin_arrival