HEART ATTACK VS. CARDIAC ARREST: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE, AND HOW CAN YOU SAVE A LIFE?
Identifying the differences between heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest, as well as understanding the symptoms and causes, can help bystanders take essential actions to save lives in emergencies. Knowledge can be lifesaving.
Perform CPR if the person isn't breathing. Aim for 100â120 compressions per minute while pushing hard and fast on the person's chest â about 100 to 120 pushes a minute.
If you are trained in CPR, open the airway and look for breathing. After this, give them rescue breaths with every 30 chest compressions.
If you haven't been trained, just continue chest compressions while allowing the chest to rise completely between compressions, until an AED is available or emergency workers arrive.
Indiatoday spoke with Dr M Sudhakar Rao, Consultant â Cardiology, Manipal Hospital Sarjapur Road to get more insights.
WHAT IS HEART ATTACK?
A heart attack occurs when a blocked coronary artery prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching a section of the heart.
If the blocked artery is not reopened quickly, the part or muscle of the heart normally supplied by that artery begins to die.
As the common phrase goes 'time is muscle', in case of a heart attack, the longer it takes for a patient to get treated, the more damage happens.
Heart attack can be caused by plaque build-up or a piece of plaque breaking off.
Symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain lasting for 20 minutes or more associated with sweating, giddiness, epigastric pain or vomiting.
Not all cases of heart attack are symptomatic, some cases present with mild symptoms or may be completely asymptomatic.
Elderly people, diabetics and people with chronic kidney disease usually do not feel typical symptoms.
At the same time, only 50% of females experience typical chest pain. Others may have left arm pain or jaw pain, light-headedness, diaphoresis, nausea, epigastric pain or vomiting.
While the heart stops beating in sudden cardiac arrest, during a heart attack it continues to beat. In the absence of immediate medical assistance, the heart muscles may begin to die.
WHAT IS CARDIAC ARREST?
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurs due to abnormal functioning of the heart's conducting system resulting in an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). SCA occurs suddenly and often without warning.
This causes the heart to lose its pumping action and prevents blood from being pumped to the brain, lungs and other organs. Individuals suffering from SCA might experience a sudden loss of consciousness and the absence of a pulse.
IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST AND HEART ATTACK?
These two distinct heart conditions are linked. Sudden cardiac arrest is a heart condition that can occur after a heart attack, or during recovery. Although not immediate, a heart attack may cause sudden cardiac arrest. Heart attack is a commonly established cause of sudden cardiac arrest.
Other causes of sudden cardiac arrest include a thickened heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), heart failure, arrhythmias, particularly ventricular fibrillation, and channelopathies including long Q-T syndrome.
WHAT SHOULD A BY-STANDER OR A RESCUER DO IF THEY WITNESS SOMEONE HAVING A CARDIAC ARREST?
A person's chance of surviving a cardiac arrest is doubled or tripled if CPR is provided immediately. If available, call the local emergency number and start CPR immediately.
If an automated external defibrillator (AED) is available, a bystander or rescuer can call emergency services and bring the AED while one person provides CPR.
Immediate AED use has been proven life-saving when the cause of the cardiac arrest is a certain type of irregular heart rhythm.
2024-09-11T09:50:51Z dg43tfdfdgfd