Heart Attack Symptoms - Heartguard

Definition of a Heart Attack:

Sudden serious illness occurs in many forms, but one of the most important is a heart attack. Describe to the class what a heart attack is. Spend only a short time discussing the causes of coronary disease.

It is important at this juncture to explain the difference between a cardiac arrest and a heart attack; many people think they are one and the same.

A heart attack is a sudden block of a coronary artery that causes death to a part of the heart muscle - but the heart continues to work, but may lead to a cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating, and therefore fails to pump any blood round the body. It is commonly caused by a heart attack but several other causes exist.

A Heart Attack is sometimes called a Coronary Attack or Myocardial Infarction (MI). Every year around 300,000 people in the UK suffer from a Myocardial Infarction. It occurs when the blood supply to the heart muscle is completely blocked by the formation of a blood clot in a narrowed coronary artery.

The heart muscle supplied by the blocked artery cannot then get enough blood and the heart muscle starts to die. Explain that it is important that a patient seeks medical help at an early stage so that the coronary thrombosis (clot) can be dissolved by the administration of thrombolysis (clot busting drugs) by the Paramedics or Doctors.

In addition a stent may be introduced into the coronary artery on admission to hospital, therefore limiting the amount of muscle damage.

Signs of a Heart Attack

Heart attack, shaded area showing probable area of pain, the person may well be clutching his chest.

Most people associate a heart attack with severe chest pain, but often that is not the case.

A person who suffers a heart attack will first complain of indigestion or chest discomfort and will try to relieve this with antacid, to no avail.

Signs and Symptoms of a heart attack:

• Nauseated and weak, complaining of mild discomfort or ‘indigestion’
• Central chest pain – persistent, crushing, vice like, that radiates into the neck, jaw and shoulders or arms (usually the left arm)
• The pain/discomfort does not go away
• Sweaty clammy skin
• Feeling sick
• Feeling weak or dizzy
• Skin may become pale
• Feeling of impending doom

Not all these warning signs occur in every heart attack. If some start to occur, however, don’t wait. Get help immediately if any of these symptoms last for more than 10 minutes call 999 or 112 for the ambulance. If a victim is going to have a cardiac arrest (heart stop), it is more likely to happen within the first hour.

CALL THE AMBULANCE do not waste time.

We offer training in:

• EMERGENCY LIFE SUPPORT TRAINING
• EXTENDED EMERGENCY LIFE SUPPORT TRAINING
• AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED) TRAINING

Basic Life Support

Basic Life Support is the term used for the emergency treatment of a victim who has collapsed and the heart has stopped. The longer cardiac arrest has persisted without effective chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth, the more likely the victim is to suffer irreversible brain damage. The only alternative to the initiation of basic life support on a victim in cardiac arrest is death.

Without emergency basic life support a person in cardiac arrest will not be resuscitated, regardless of how good the treatment given by the paramedics, nurses and doctors.

Do not expect to resuscitate a victim. Basic life support will maintain the circulation to the brain and other vital organs; it’s the defibrillator that will restart the victim’s heart.

First place one hand on the victim’s forehead exerting pressure.

With the other hand, use your fingers under the point of the chin to lift and push the head back.

Keep the thumb and index finger of the hand on the forehead free to close the nose if expired air resuscitation is required. Tilting the head moves the jaw and the tongue forward thereby opens the airway.

Check for breathing and signs of life

Look, listen and feel. Look down at the chest/abdomen for signs of movement; listen for breathing by putting your cheek over the victim’s mouth and notice if you can feel breath on your cheek.

Check for about ten seconds to ascertain if breathing is present. You are looking for normal breathing, if there are 10 or seconds between breaths begin CPR. These infrequent breaths are known as agonal respirations are commonly seen in cases of cardiac arrest, and may persist for several minutes after cessation of a heartbeat.

The presence of agonal respirations indicates a more favourable prognosis than in cases of cardiac arrest without agonal respirations.

"When in doubt start chest compressions, don’t hesitate."

If there are no signs of life found

Kneel close to the victim; place your knees about a shoulder’s-width apart. Locate the centre of the chest. Kneel close to the victim (standing on your knees not resting back).

Only use the heels of your hands, place the heel of one hand above the other and interlock fingers pulling fingers up to prevent the fingers resting on the chest wall .

Give 30 compressions at a rate of approximately 100 per minute. Depress the breastbone 1½ - 2ins (4-5cms.); on a normal sized adult, release the pressure but do not lose contact between the heel of the hand and the chest, so that you do not lose the correct contact area.

After 30 compressions:

Tilt the head, lift the chin and give 2 effective breaths inflate the lungs only sufficiently to cause the chest to rise as in normal spontaneous breathing.

Return your hands immediacy to the correct position on the breast bone and give a further 30 compressions. Continue until the paramedic arrives and they tell you to stop.

For those rescuers who are unwilling or unable to give mouth-to-mouth ventilations, chest compression-only is much more acceptable than performing no CPR at all.

Rescue breathing should never be performed on its own, without the support of chest compressions. It is the defibrillator that will restart the heart. If in a public place call for the Automated External Defibrillator (AED)