cardiac arrest: A sudden decrease in breathing, consciousness and heart function is known as sudden cardiac arrest. Typically, the disease is caused by a problem with your heart’s electrical system, which interferes with the pumping speed of your heart and stops the flow of blood throughout your body.
A heart attack, which occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart is interrupted, is different from a sudden cardiac arrest. But sometimes a heart attack can cause electrical disruption which can result in sudden cardiac arrest.
What is the difference between cardiac arrest and heart attack?
When an artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood to a part of the heart becomes blocked, it causes a heart attack. If the artery is unable to unblock, the patient dies.
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs suddenly and often without warning. It is caused by an irregular heartbeat due to an electrical defect (arrhythmia) in the heart.
These two different heart conditions are linked. Sudden cardiac arrest can occur after a heart attack or during recovery.
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What to do during sudden cardiac arrest?
Most victims of cardiac arrest can recover if they receive treatment within a few minutes. Call an emergency medical care first. If an automated external defibrillator is available, obtain one and use it as soon as it is delivered. CPR should be started immediately and continued until emergency medical personnel arrive.
How to do CPR?
Follow basic CPR steps for adults:
– Dial emergency medical care first.
– Lay the person on their back on a hard, flat surface and open their airway.
– Check breathing. If they are not breathing, start CPR.
– 30 chest compresses
~ hand position: two hands centered on the chest
~ body position: shoulders on straight hands; elbow off
~ Depth: At least 2 inches
~ Rate: 100 to 120 per minute
~ Allow chest to return to normal position after each compression
– give 2 breaths
~ Open the airway to the past-neutral position using the head-tilt/chin-lift technique
~ make sure that each breath lasts about 1 second and raises the chest; let the air out before taking the next breath
– Continue to give sets of 30 chest compressions and 2 breaths.
(according to redcross.org)
(Disclaimer: This information is based on general information and is not a substitute for expert advice. Zee News does not confirm this.)