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.
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