Cardiac Arrest
or
Heart Attack
A heart attack and cardiac arrest are the
same, right? Wrong. While many of us use the
terms interchangeably, those in the know are
aware that they are two very different
things. And, most importantly, that they
require very different emergency treatment.
A person's likelihood of surviving a cardiac
emergency has much to do with what happens
in the moments after it becomes apparent
that something terrible is happening. Always
call 911 first... but be aware that what you
tell the dispatcher can make the difference
between life and death... and what you do
while awaiting the arrival of emergency
personnel is not exactly the same for people
suffering cardiac arrest as it is for those
having a heart attack.
The reason the distinction is important is
that a person in cardiac arrest needs a
defibrillator immediately and the results of
a new study show getting
immediate care can save lives.
Researchers found that one symptom in
particular -- noisy breathing, in the form
of gasping, gurgling, moaning, snorting,
even snoring -- is both a result of cardiac
arrest
and a predictor of the
likelihood of survival. I urge you to read
this article all the way to the end in order
to understand some important differences
that truly may end up saving a life --
yours, someone you care about, even that of
a stranger in line behind you at the
supermarket.
In order to understand, let's first define
the terms. A heart attack is what happens
when the heart does not receive enough blood
due to a blockage, leading to muscle damage.
Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops
pumping blood due to an
arrhythmia (ventricular
fibrillation). This can be caused by
a heart attack but can also result from
previous damage to the heart from a heart
attack or from other
heart conditions.
RECOGNIZING CARDIAC ARREST:
EVERY SECOND COUNTS
Cardiac arrest strikes immediately and
without warning. If a person is upright when
cardiac arrest occurs, he/she will
immediately collapse due to a
loss of consciousness. Signs of
cardiac arrest include a sudden loss of
responsiveness (for instance, no response
when you tap on the victim's shoulder or
call his/her name)... abnormal breathing
sounds (gasping, groaning, moaning, even
snoring -- which can sound halting, labored
or like gurgling). These sounds are evidence
that blood flow to the brain and body has
been severely impaired and the brain can no
longer coordinate the functions of normal
breathing.
How to respond...
-
Report whether the person is breathing
or not and describe what the breathing
sounds like to the dispatcher.
-
Perform CPR (cardiopulmonary
resuscitation). If a person's heart
stops beating, even bystanders who are
untrained in CPR can help: Simply push
hard and fast in the center of the chest
until emergency personnel arrive. Aim
for 100 compressions/minute. The 911
emergency dispatcher can also tell you
how to properly perform CPR. A victim
who receives CPR and/or defibrillation
doubles or triples his chance of
survival.
-
Get an automated external defibrillator
(AED), if one is available, and use it
at once. Commonly available in malls,
airplanes, gyms and office buildings,
AEDs help restore normal
heart rhythm. Though it is vastly
better to have a person who is trained
in its use administer the treatment, the
AED is designed to quickly guide even
the untrained responder through the
right steps in its lifesaving use.
Important:
In the University of Arizona study,
published in the December 9, 2008, issue of
Circulation, presence of
abnormal breathing correlated with a greater
likelihood of survival. The study found that
of patients who received emergency
intervention (CPR), 39% of those who had
gasped survived... compared with just 9% of
those who did
not
have abnormal breathing. Survival plummeted
among those who didn't get bystander help
(21% of gaspers, compared with 7% for
non-gaspers), with the odds decreasing
steadily in relation to how long it took for
emergency medical services to be
administered.
RECOGNIZING HEART ATTACK:
EVERY MINUTE COUNTS
About one in four Americans recognizes the
warning signs of a heart attack and
would call or seek help for someone
appearing to have a heart attack, according
to a study from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Once again,
immediate action is critical, since faster
intervention reduces the amount of muscle
damage... and extensive muscle damage can
lead to cardiac arrest, right away or down
the road.
The warning signs:
The most widely recognized symptom of a
heart attack is crushing chest pain, often
radiating to one or both arms. But many
individuals who have heart attacks do not
experience such obvious symptoms, warns
Keith Churchwell, MD, assistant professor of
medicine and executive medical director of
the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute
in Nashville, Tennessee. In fact, some heart
attacks are "silent," without the classic
symptoms, or sometimes (though rarely) with
no symptoms at all. Other signs include arm,
jaw, neck, back or abdominal pain,
chest discomfort or tightness...
shortness of breath... faintness...
nausea or vomiting. Women are more likely
than men to experience shortness of breath,
nausea, vomiting, and back or
jaw pain as their primary symptom.
How to respond...
-
Call 911. Even if you're not sure that
symptoms constitute a heart attack,
don't take chances. Calling 911 is
nearly always the fastest way to get
treatment, and people with chest pain
who arrive in hospitals by ambulance
receive care more promptly.
-
Do
not use a defibrillator on a
person who is not in cardiac arrest. A
heart attack by itself is not a reason
to use a defibrillator and its use in
this situation would be dangerous and
could cause death.
-
Chew an aspirin. Aspirin has
anti-clotting properties, and chewed
aspirin enters the bloodstream faster.
Note:
The
American Heart Association offers
online CPR and AED training at
www.americanheart.org.
This should be paired with hands-on
instruction. To find a
CPR class near you, enter your zip
code or state at
www.americanheart.org.
Alertness to the
signs and symptoms of cardiac arrest
and heart attack is the single best way to
increase the odds a person will survive.
Listen to your body, Dr. Churchwell urges,
and see your doctor if something seems
amiss. If someone near you collapses, move
quickly to get help. Seconds and minutes
will make a difference and doing something
is always better than doing nothing.
Source(s):
Keith Churchwell, MD, assistant professor of
medicine, executive medical director,
Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute,
Nashville, Tennessee.
American Heart Association,
www.americanheart.org.
