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Cardiac Arrest Symptoms, Risk Factors, Diagnosis and Treatment

Cardiac arrest is a life-threatening and sudden medical emergency where the heart stops functioning and there is unexpected loss of breathing and consciousness. Cardiac arrest and heart attack (myocardial infarction) are most often confused to be the same but they aren’t. A cardiac arrest is when a person’s ticker stops pumping oxygenated blood around their body and they stop breathing normally while a heart attack is when one of the coronary arteries becomes blocked. The heart muscle robbed of its vital blood supply if left untreated, will begin to die because it is not getting enough oxygen.

A victim in the middle of these emergencies would require immediate treatment for survival. The most appropriate form of treatment is proper application of CPR procedure (a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths) which maintains a flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body’s vital organs thus acting as a vital link until more-advanced emergency care is available. Make sure to choose a certified training center for acquiring training such as the AHA accredited CPR Columbus in Ohio. Classes are conducted through a series of audio and video lectures and hands-on practice. There are courses for both healthcare and non-healthcare providers. Learn more about a “BLS for healthcare providers Columbus” program:

Basic Life Support Training Classes- This American Heart Association CPR class satisfies the required certification that students must have in order to participate in their healthcare/medical related programs such as nursing, medical, dental, radiology, pharmacy, therapy, EMT/Paramedic, etc. This program covers adults, children and infant basic life support including high quality CPR and AED use.

Become certified at the end of the training classes after passing a skills test and written exam.
Symptoms of Cardiac Arrest- The symptoms are very immediate and drastic and come without any warning. The symptoms include sudden collapse; no pulse and breathing; loss of consciousness; fatigue and weakness; fainting, blackout and dizziness; chest pain, shortness of breath and palpitations; vomiting.

Risk Factors- High blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, increasing age, family or personal history of forms of heart disease, smoking and drinking, drug abuse of cocaine, nutritional imbalance of low potassium or magnesium levels. Men are two or three times more likely to experience a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

Diagnosis:
1.      Electrocardiogram
2.      Imaging tests like x-ray, echocardiogram and nuclear scan.
3.      Blood tests to check levels of potassium, magnesium, hormones that may affect the ticker’s ability to function properly.
4.      Other tests like Electrical system testing and mapping, Ejection fraction testing, Coronary catheterization.

Cardiac Arrest Treatment:
Prevention is the first step to treating SCA. For survival, it is imperative that immediate treatment is given by the best cardiac surgeons if you experience or notice someone experiencing any symptoms. The treatment options include

1.      CPR is critical to treating SCA.
2.      Defibrillation.
3.      Long-term treatment options include medications, implantation of cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and surgery like coronary angioplasty, coronary bypass surgery, radiofrequency catheter ablation or corrective heart surgery.

Contribute towards the safety of cardiac arrest victims by joining a CPR class today. For more information, call CPR Columbus on 614-321-2094.
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