| 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. |
StarClassifieds.com
Eye
Catching Additional Services Available:
