Time is Muscle

During a cardiac event, time is important because time is muscle. Every minute that the heart doesn’t see blood supply, the heart muscle starts to die. The sooner blood flow is restored, the less the heart muscle suffers.

Learning the difference between a heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest can help you know how to respond and possibly save your life or someone else’s.

It can be easy to get them confused – both are life threatening medical emergencies involving the heart – but cardiac arrest and heart attack aren’t the same thing.

A heart attack is a plumbing problem:

• Buildup of plaque in the arteries blocks blood flow to the heart.
• Blockage prevents oxygen-rich blood from getting to the heart muscle and it begins to die.
• The obstruction needs to be resolved immediately to restore blood flow.
• The longer a person goes without treatment, the greater the damage

Sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical problem:

• The heart’s electrical system malfunctions causing it to stop beating entirely.
• This disruption prevents blood from circulating to the brain, lungs and other organs.
• Causes unconsciousness, breathing stops and no pulse.
• The heart rhythm needs to be restored immediately – brain damage or even death can result in minutes.

For sudden cardiac arrest and heart attack, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Heart Attack Symptoms

Some of the early signs of a heart attack may not seem like an emergency and are easy to dismiss as nothing. Symptoms vary from person to person, but the classic sign of a heart attack is chest pain or pressure. This is typically described as pressure, tightness, squeezing or constriction that may travel into the arm, shoulder, neck, jaw or back.

A heart attack can happen out of nowhere, but most warning signs happen on and off for a few days prior to the heart attack event.

Common symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Chest discomfort that feels like pressure in the center of the chest
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Pain or tightness in the arm, shoulder, jaw, neck or back.
• Shortness of breath

Women are more likely to experience other heart attack symptoms – including extreme fatigue or nausea.

If you have any concerns that your symptoms may be a heart attack, don’t ignore them or wait to see if they’ll go away. Speak up and get immediate medical attention.

What To Do If Someone’s Heart Stops

If someone near you is unresponsive – they don’t have a pulse and they aren’t breathing, try to remain calm and call 9-1-1- right away.

It’s frightening, but it does happen. With each minute’s delay, the likelihood of survival is drastically reduced. Getting trained emergency personnel on-site as soon as possible is crucial.

Sudden cardiac arrest seldom has warning signs, although a history of heart disease puts someone at higher risk. A person with sudden cardiac arrest usually collapses or slumps if seated. There can also be signs of seizure activity or staggered breathing.

Lifesaving Steps:

The first thing to do is check for a pulse by holding two fingers on the carotid artery on the side of the person’s neck. If there is no pulse, do these things almost at the same time:

• Dial 9-1-1 immediately or have someone else call.
• Call out for help – ask someone to find an automated external defibrillator (AED).
• Start hands-only CPR.
• If an AED is available, follow the instructions carefully.
• Continue administering CPR until emergency services arrive.

Save a Life With CPR

CPR is a procedure that helps keep blood flowing through the body when the heart has stopped beating on its own. CPR can buy time until trained personnel can intervene.

Even if you haven’t been formally trained in CPR, it’s important to try to do your best during an emergency situation.

CPR should be performed when a person is:

• Non-responsive
• Not breathing
• Without a pulse
• Unconscious

CPR Instructions:

• Call 9-1-1 right away.
• Position the person on their back and tilt their head back.
• If they don’t have a pulse, aren’t breathing or are unresponsive, begin CPR.
• Place one hand over the other and press down firmly in the middle of the chest with the heel of your hand.
• Deliver 2 compressions per second or 100 to 120 compressions per minute. Some say to perform the chest compressions at the same tempo as the disco song “Stayin’ Alive”.

AED Basics

AEDs (automated external defibrillator) can be found in many public, high-traffic locations and are commonly mounted on the wall in hallways, lobbies, dining areas and near elevators.

An AED is a portable medical device used to deliver an electric shock to help restart the heart. When used quickly and properly, an AED more than doubles a person’s chance of survival, especially if administered within the first few minutes of collapse.

If you’re in an emergency situation, don’t be afraid to use an AED, even if you don’t know how. The device is designed to be very user friendly; it provides easy-to-follow visual and verbal instructions for use.

You won’t shock someone unnecessarily because the AED detects whether it’s needed. It will only deliver a shock if it’s appropriate.

No one is asking you to play doctor. If you find yourself in a position of having to use one of these devices remember to stay calm and have someone, call 9-1-1 immediately.