The Flanzer Center for Emergencies and Critical Care at White Plains Hospital is the busiest emergency department (ED) in Westchester County and well-positioned to handle a wide range of adult and pediatric emergencies. Specially trained, highly skilled physicians and nurses are always on hand to provide patient-focused emergency medical care in a recently expanded, state-of-the-art setting that stresses comfort and privacy.
From initial treatment to inpatient intensive care, our physicians and nurses have the latest technology available to help them handle life-threatening injuries and illnesses.
The unique two-floor space also houses the Maxine and John Bendheim Family Intermediate Care Center, a unit for patients whose needs are less urgent.
Emergency and critical care services
Heart attack symptoms
Reviewed 8/2/2021
Heart attack symptoms
Heart attacks can be sudden and intense. But they can also develop and start out as mild pain or discomfort. Not everyone has typical heart attack symptoms. So it's important to learn all the ways a heart attack might make you feel—and to call 911 right away if you suspect a heart attack. Fast action could save your life or someone else's.
CHEST DISCOMFORT
Chest discomfort is the most common heart attack symptom in men and women. It may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, pain, or like heartburn or indigestion. It usually lasts more than a few minutes. It may go away and then come back. The feeling may be severe, or it may be mild.
UPPER BODY DISCOMFORT
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, a shoulder, the neck, the jaw or the stomach (above the belly button) can signal a heart attack. Women are somewhat more likely than men to experience back or jaw pain during a heart attack.
SWEATING
A heart attack can cause cold sweats.
NAUSEA OR VOMITING
Women are more likely than men to experience unexplained nausea or vomiting during a heart attack.
SHORTNESS OF BREATH
Shortness of breath can come on suddenly and can happen while you're resting. It may be your only heart attack symptom. Women are more likely to experience shortness of breath during a heart attack than men are.
LIGHT-HEADEDNESS OR DIZZINESS
When you're having a heart attack, you might suddenly feel dizzy or light-headed.
FATIGUE
Feeling unusually tired for no reason can be a symptom of a heart attack. Sometimes this fatigue lasts for days. Women are more likely than men to experience fatigue as a heart attack symptom.
Being aware of the symptoms of a heart attack is important. So is knowing about the things that put you at risk.
Sources: American Heart Association; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Specialty treatment areas for specific types of emergency care, such as orthopedic, pediatric and OB-GYN care; trauma; oncologic care; and stroke and other neurologic emergencies
- X-ray equipment on-site for more rapid imaging and diagnosis and seamless access to advanced imaging technology such as CT Scan, ultrasound and MRI
- Therapeutic hypothermia treatment, which can improve outcomes for some cardiac arrest patients
- Negative pressure areas for isolation of patients with serious infectious disease
- A separate emergency area designed for pediatric patients within the main ED
- Registration at bedside, resulting in less wait time and enhanced privacy
- Flat-screen TVs in all treatment rooms
Our emergency care team
Our ED is staffed by board-certified physicians, as well as Magnet® nurses with special training in emergency medical care. In addition, specially trained volunteers serve as Emergency Department Ambassadors, providing an extra measure of comfort for patients and their families.
We focus on a team approach to each and every one of our patients. Patients with less serious conditions may just be seen in triage, while those with more complex needs can be seen in our acute care areas. This new model of care allows us to evaluate, treat and place patients on the quickest path to recovery at home or in the hospital.