CA is a state in which the heart stops working. Due to a lack of blood supply, all essential body organs (for example, the brain, kidneys, liver, lungs, etc.) also stop working.

What are the symptoms of a CA?
Patients with CA are unconscious and can not talk or follow commands. They may be in a state of stupor or maybe having convulsions for a short period of time before becoming completely unconscious. If corrective measures are delayed beyond a few minutes, death is inevitable.

CA occurs due to electrical instability of the heart. The human heart has intricate channels carrying electrical signals, similar to the concealed wiring within the walls of our houses. The electrical signalling within our heart is very systematic and predictable. These signals prompt the heart to contract and pump the blood out. Just as a short circuit leads to a power outage in our houses, any major disturbance in the signalling mechanism of the heart’s electrical system will stop the heart from doing its job.

1. Heart attack: see below

2. Faulty electrical system: Sometimes, the heart’s electrical system can be faulty. This can happen if someone is born with a defect that shows up later in life or if the electrical system is damaged due to a previous heart attack.

3. Weak heart muscle: Patients with weak heart muscle develop electrical disturbances and are at higher risk for CA.

4. Other diseases related to the heart: Abnormalities beyond a heart attack or a weak heart can also lead to a CA. For example, Hypertrophic CardioMyopathy (HCM), where the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick, is the most common cause of cardiac arrest among athletes in the United States.

4. Critical illness: Since all the organs of the human body are co-dependent, any critical illness elsewhere in the body can trigger an electrical instability of the heart.

1. Confirm if you are indeed dealing with a CA. If a patient responds to your command, it is not a CA. Patients with CA are unconscious.

2. Call for help. An ambulance or another person, preferably with a medical background.

3. Start chest compressions and other steps as per Basic Life Support.

4. Ask someone to look for an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

5. Seek immediate transfer to the nearest hospital

A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is cut off due to a major blockage in the heart artery. Heart attack refers to damage to the heart muscle caused by a lack of blood supply.

Patients with an HA may complain of chest discomfort, dizziness, palpitations, etc. A detailed overview of heart attacks can be found here. Few heart attacks can turn into cardiac arrest.

A heart attack occurs when blockages inside the heart artery become severe enough to interrupt the blood supply to the heart muscle.

1. Ask the person to sit, relax.

2. Call for a vehicle or an ambulance for hospital transfer as soon as possible.

3. Give an Aspirin 300 mg tablet (chew and swallow) and a Sorbitrate 5 mg tablet (to be kept under the tongue) ONLY if giving medicines does not delay the hospital transfer.

> In simple words, a heart attack is a plumbing problem, whereas a cardiac arrest is an electrical problem.

> A patient is awake and responsive in heart attack, vs unconscious in cardiac arrest.

> A heart attack is treated with an emergent angiogram and angioplasty (with stents), along with other medicines. A cardiac arrest necessitates life resuscitation measures like chest compressions and electrical shock (via an AED).

> While both are emergencies, a heart attack gives you some time to react, whereas cardiac arrest is lethal if not addressed within minutes.

> With optimal and efficient treatment, a heart attack has a much higher chance of survival compared to a cardiac arrest.

*Heart attack and Cardiac arrest are not interchangeable. These are 2 distinct entities with different causes and treatment approaches.

*Heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest if not managed in a time-sensitive manner.

*Not all cardiac arrests are due to a heart attack. The younger the age, the lesser the likelihood of a cardiac arrest being caused by a heart attack.

 

I am sure I didn’t answer all your questions on this topic. Feel free to message me with your queries; I will happily answer them.

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