Heart Attack Symptoms - Heartguard

Definition of a Heart Attack:

A heart attack is a sudden blockage in one of the blood vessels that deliver blood and oxygen to the heart muscle. The section of muscle that has been deprived of blood and oxygen then begins to die. The heart may continue to beat normally or it might stop (cardiac arrest).

The medical term for a heart attack is myocardial infarction (MI). Every year around 300,000 people in the UK suffer a myocardial infarction.

It is imperative that a person seeks emergency medical help as soon as a heart attack is suspected. Dial 999 or 112 for an ambulance.

It may be that the blockage can be dissolved by clot-busting drugs administered by the ambulance crew or the hospital team. In addition a stent may be introduced into the coronary artery on admission to hospital, to restore blood flow to the heart muscle

Signs and symptoms of a heart attack

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

Some people who suffer a heart attack mistakenly think that they only have indigestion!

The warning signs of a heart attack are:

• Central chest pain that is persistent, crushing or vice-like
• Aching in the neck, jaw, shoulders or arms (usually the left arm)
• Shortness of breath
• Sweaty clammy skin
• Feeling weak, tired, dizzy or nauseous
• Skin may become pale
• Feeling of impending doom

No two heart attacks are the same, and not everybody who has a heart attack will have all the above warning signs. The Golden Rule is to dial 999 or 112 if chest pain persists for more than 10 minutes, particularly if there are other warning signs as well. Most people who die from a heart attack will die within the first hour of the first warning sign.

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 emergency treatment of a victim who has collapsed and whose heart has stopped (cardiac arrest). The longer cardiac arrest persists without effective chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breathing, the more likely the victim is to suffer irreversible brain damage.

Do not expect to resuscitate a cardiac arrest victim using Basic Life Support alone. Basic Life Support will maintain the circulation of blood and oxygen to the heart, brain and other vital organs. Basic Life Support increases the likelihood of the defibrillator restarting the victim’s heart.

The skills of Basic Life Support are:

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 thereby opening 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. Take no more than ten seconds to ascertain if normal breathing is present.

If the victim is not breathing, or is only making infrequent noisy gasps, then call for an ambulance and start chest compressions. These infrequent gasps are termed ‘agonal respirations’ and are common in cases of cardiac arrest. They may persist for several minutes after cessation of a heartbeat, but they are an indication of cardiac arrest. The presence of agonal respirations indicates a more favourable outcome than in cases of cardiac arrest without agonal respirations.

Ask somebody to fetch an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) if one is available

If there is any doubt about whether or not a person is breathing normally, then start chest compressions - do not 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.

Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest (on the breastbone) and place your other hand on top.  Interlock your fingers to prevent them from resting on the victim’s chest.

Give 30 compressions at a rate of 100 - 120 per minute but not exceeding 120 per minute.  Depress the victim’s chest 5 - 6cm.

If more than one rescuer is present, then another rescuer should take over every 1 - 2 minutes to present fatigue.

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After 30 compressions:

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

Return your hands immediately to the correct position on the breast bone and give a further 30 compressions. Continue until medical help arrives and takes over.

For those rescuers who are unwilling or unable to give mouth-to-mouth ventilations, then perform chest compressions only.  This is much more acceptable than doing nothing at all.