Get Your Cardiopulmonary Condition Treated by a Medical Professional at Home

Chest pain is the most common emergency room condition presenting in 18% of all visits. If you have chest discomfort and you have a history of heart problems or if you are having severe pressure or pain in the chest (particularly if it moves into the left shoulder, arm, or neck), you should immediately go to the emergency room or call 911. If your chest discomfort is accompanied by sweating, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, or fatigue, you should go to the emergency room as well. But you should not drive yourself to the hospital. Have someone else drive you or call 911.

There are many cases of chest pain that have nothing to do with the heart. Esophageal spasms, gastrointestinal disorders (like heartburn or acid reflux), lung diseases, bruised/fractured ribs, intercostal muscle (between ribs) strain and spasms, panic attacks, constipation, and countless other conditions can cause pain in your chest.

Asthma affects more than 26 million people in the US. It is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation of parts of the lungs and airways. During an asthma attack the muscles surrounding the patient’s airways will tighten. The airways’ lining can also become inflamed and swollen. This means that the airways can feel pressure from both outside and inside. This can be very scary for the patient and can last minutes to a few hours if not treated.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a group of diseases that included chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Although lung damage can’t be reversed, medication and lifestyle changes can help manage the symptoms of COPD.

How Pivotal Health Can Help

If chest pain is truly a patient’s main concern (particularly if they have history of heart disease or surgery), then Pivotal Health as a general principle advises patients to call 911 or go to the nearest ER. Even though the source of chest pain is not always the heart, it can be difficult to predict this. And when chest pain is heart-related, immediate action is often required. Pivotal Health does not want to delay needed care that we cannot provide. We feel that the best place for initial evaluation of chest pain is typically the ER.

 However, if your chest is hurting because of a fall where you injured ribs or from coughing, or from asthma, then there are situations where an initial Pivotal housecall may be appropriate. Our clinicians can certainly do a full evaluation, arrange for EKGs and chest xrays in the home and advise on treatment for many medical problems where chest pain is not the primary/isolated concern. For asthma and other respiratory problems, Pivotal Health clinicians can treat with inhalers and nebulized medications right in the house. And appropriate prescription medications such as steroids, new inhalers, nebulizer ampules and antibiotics can be sent directly to your pharmacy.

 Pivotal Health is unable to treat with oxygen at home. So in addition to the chest pain restrictions, we advise any patient that is feeling short of breath enough to need oxygen to call 911 or go to the ER immediately.