Cardiac Emergencies Objectives

1. Cardiac EmergenciesObjectives • Identify the common cause of a heart attack • List signs and symptoms of a heart attack • Identify the care for a heart attack • Recognize the primary signs of cardiac arrest • Describe the purpose of CPR • Be able to perform CPR • List conditions in which a rescuer may stop CPR

2. Heart Attack Like all living tissue, the cells of the heart need a continuous supply of oxygen. The coronary arteries supply the heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood. If the heart is deprived of this blood, it dies. If enough of the muscle dies, the heart cannot circulate blood effectively, causing a heart attack. A heart attack interferes with the heart’s electrical and mechanical systems. This interference may result in an irregular heartbeat, which may prevent blood from circulating effectively.

3. Common Cause of a Heart attack A Heart attack is usually the result of cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease). • This is the leading cause of death for adults over 44 years of age in the U.S. • 70 million Americans suffer from this. • 1 million deaths annually/500,000 are due to heart attacks • Cardiovascular disease develops slowly. Fatty deposits of cholesterol and other material may gradually build up on the inner walls of the arteries.

4. Signs and Symptoms • Persistent chest pain or discomfort, sometimes confused with indigestion, (a muscle spasms) • Heart burn to unbearable crushing pain • Breathes noisily, short of breath, faster than normal • Skin = ashen, pale, bluish - profuse sweating • Nausea/vomit

5. Care for a Heart attack • Recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack • Call EMS • Convince the victim to stop activity and rest • Help the victim rest comfortably • Comfort victim • Assist the victim with medication, if prescribed (Nitroglycerin - vasodilator) • Be prepared to give CPR if the victim’s heart stops beating.

6. Cardiac Arrest/Common Causes Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating or beats too ineffectively to generate a pulse and blood cannot be circulated. • Cardiovascular disease is the most common. • Drowning, suffocation, and certain drugs can cause breathing to stop, which will soon lead to cardiac arrest. • Severe injuries to the chest or severe blood loss can also cause the heart to stop. • Electrocution disrupts the heart’s electrical activity • Stroke or other types of brain damage can also stop the heart

7. Purpose of CPR A victim who is not breathing and has no pulse is said to be clinically dead. However, the cells of the brain and other vital organs will continue to live for a short period of time until oxygen is depleted. This victim needs cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) Without CPR, the brain will begin to die within 4 to 6 minutes. This irreversible damage caused by brain cell death is known as biological death.

8. Adult/Child CPR After doing the primary survey and you discover the victim is not breathing and does not have a pulse, begin CPR. • 30 compressions/2 breaths • Adult - Compress chest at least 2 inches • Child – Compress chest about 2 inches • Compress at a rate of at least 100 times/min

9. Infant CPR Infant • Maintain head-tilt with hand on forehead • Place pads of fingers below imaginary line running across chest connecting nipples. Relax your fingers. • 30 compressions/2 breaths • Compress chest about 1 ½ inches • Compress at a rate of 100 times/ min

10. Do Not Stop CPR unless: • You see an obvious sign of life such as breathing. • An AED is ready to use. • Another trained responder or EMS personnel take over. • You are too exhausted to continue. • The scene becomes unsafe.