Know difference between Cardiac Arrest and a Heart Attack both are not same

Know difference between Cardiac Arrest and a Heart Attack both are not same
Is a heart attack the same as cardiac arrest?

No. The term "heart attack" is often mistakenly used to describe cardiac arrest. While a heart attack may cause cardiac arrest and sudden death, the terms don't mean the same thing.

Many people think that Cardiac Arrest and a Heart Attack both are same.
But no it is not true. Cardiac Arrest and a Heart Attack both are not same

In order to understand that Cardiac Arrest and a Heart Attack both are not same one needs to understand what means cardiac arrest and a Heart attack.

Cardiac arrest and heart attack are not the same thing, although people often confuse the terms. Both are medical emergencies.

Let us understand Cardiac arrest and Heart Attack

What is cardiac arrest and Heart Attack?

Cardiac arrest is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have diagnosed heart disease. The time and mode of death are unexpected. It occurs instantly or shortly after symptoms appear

Heart attacks are caused by a blockage that stops blood flow to the heart. A heart attack (or myocardial infarction) refers to death of heart muscle tissue due to the loss of blood supply, not necessarily resulting in the death of the heart attack victim.

Cardiac arrest is caused when the heart's electrical system malfunctions. In cardiac arrest death results when the heart suddenly stops working properly. This may be caused by abnormal, or irregular, heart rhythms (called arrhythmias).

A common arrhythmia in cardiac arrest is ventricular fibrillation. This is when the heart's lower chambers suddenly start beating chaotically and don't pump blood. Death occurs within minutes after the heart stops. Cardiac arrest may be reversed if CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is performed and a defibrillator is used to shock the heart and restore a normal heart rhythm within a few minutes.

The heart has an internal electrical system that controls the rhythm of the heartbeat. Problems can cause abnormal heart rhythms, called arrhythmias. There are many types of arrhythmia. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or it can stop beating. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurs when the heart develops an arrhythmia that causes it to stop beating. This is different than a heart attack, where the heart usually continues to beat but blood flow to the heart is blocked. With its pumping action disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs and other organs. Seconds later, a person loses consciousness and has no pulse. Death occurs within minutes if the victim does not receive treatment.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency. If not treated immediately, it causes sudden cardiac death. With fast, appropriate medical care, survival is possible. Administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), treating with a defibrillator — or even just compressions to the chest — can improve the chances of survival until emergency personnel arrive.

A heart attack happens when blood flow to a part of the heart is slowed or stopped, usually because of plaque rupture in one of the coronary arteries. This causes death of the heart muscle. But a heart attack does not always mean that the heart stops beating. A heart attack may cause
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) but the two terms do not mean the same thing.

Following are the Symptoms of Cardiac arrest

Sudden cardiac arrest symptoms are immediate and drastic and include:

1-Sudden collapse
2-No pulse
3-No breathing
4-Loss of consciousness

Sometimes other signs and symptoms precede sudden cardiac arrest. These may include fatigue, fainting, blackouts, and dizziness, and chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, palpitations or vomiting. But sudden cardiac arrest often occurs with no warning.

Symptoms of a heart attack –

The symptoms of a heart attack and a cardiac arrest also vary.

The most common signs include:
1-chest pain, tightness, heaviness, pain or a burning feeling in your chest
2-pain in the arms, neck, jaw, back or stomach
3-for some people the pain and tightness will be severe, while for others it will just feel uncomfortable
4-sweating
5-feeling light-headed
6-becoming short of breath
7-feeling nauseous or vomiting

What causes a heart attack?

In most cases a heart attack will be triggered by coronary heart disease.

Coronary heart disease is where the coronary arteries, that supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood, become narrower.

This happens over time, as fatty materials build up in the blood vessel.

If a piece of the fatty material then breaks off, it can cause a blood clot.

When the clot is big enough to block the artery it can cut off the blood supply to the heart muscle.

This is a heart attack, which can also be referred to by its medical names myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome or coronary thrombosis.

How is a heart attack treated?

The first port of call for treatment, is for doctors to treat the blocked artery.

There are two main procedures used to open up the blocked blood vessel.

The first, a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is an emergency coronary angioplasty.

It opens the blockage and helps restore blood supply to the heart.

The second treatment, is thrombosis, also known as a "clot buster".

It involves injecting a drug into the vein to dissolve the blood clot and restore blood supply to the heart that way.

In some cases this procedure can be performed in the ambulance.

While these treatments are common, in some cases they will not be right for the patient and so won't be performed.

A heart attack occurs when there's a blockage in an artery leading to your heart:

1-Heart muscle begins to die due to reduced blood flow, and therefore oxygen to the muscle
2-Can cause permanent damage to the heart and can be fatal
3-Heart usually doesn't stop beating, unless your heart attack causes a cardiac arrest
4-Technical terms are coronary thrombosis (a clot in a coronary artery) or myocardial infarction (meaning damage to the heart muscle)
5-A heart attack is a life-threatening emergency

A cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction –
The heart's rhythm is disrupted and it stops pumping blood around your body Brain, lungs and other vital organs are starved of oxygen due to lack of blood flow, so you soon lose consciousness and stop breathing
Death within minutes without emergency treatment
A person in cardiac arrest will have no pulse and won't be breathing. Call triple-0 and start CPR immediately.

Heart attack victims are awake and typically experience discomfort or pain. While they do not need CPR or treatment with a defibrillator

In contrast, sudden cardiac arrest victims are not awake and need immediate CPR and treatment with a defibrillator

Finally, there are many different causes of a cardiac arrest; whereas the main cause of a heart attack is coronary heart disease.

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Sunday, February 25, 2018

Tags – Facts Difference Heart Attack Cardiac Arrest