Cardiac Arrest Essay
Cardiac arrest is a sudden condition that requires professional medical intervention to treat. It occurs when the heart stops beating and the blood circulation is impaired throughout the body. As a result, the patient’s consciousness may be lost after a few seconds. For example, there is no regular breathing or pulse in the patient. In addition, if the patient does not receive proper care, several complications such as brain damage can occur. Cardiac arrest may be mistaken for a heart attack; however, cardiac arrest is unpredictable and can happen to anyone. On the other hand, the heart attack is a condition that occurs when blood flow to the heart is obstructed. Cardiac arrest may result from a heart attack and vice versa. Thus, both conditions require emergency management to avoid death.
What Causes Cardiac Arrest?
There are several conditions that can trigger cardiac arrest in adults and children. Some of the causes of cardiac arrest include coronary artery disease (CAD), heart attack, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, arrhythmia, congenital heart diseases and severe valve problems, electrical disorders, low electrolyte levels, drug-induced problems, electric shock, trauma, drowning, and suffocation.
Risk Factors
Cardiac arrest can occur among people with risk factors and those without. The risk factors associated with cardiac arrest include:
A personal history of heart attack, CAD, cardiomyopathy, or heart failure.
Having cardiomyopathy and high blood pressure.
Having diabetes and high cholesterol.
Lifestyle risk factors:
Obesity.
Tobacco and heavy alcohol use.
Substance abuse.
A family history of sudden cardiac death.
Sleep apnea.
Chronic kidney diseases.
Warning Signs and Symptoms of Cardiac Arrest
Most of the time, there are no warning signs or symptoms of cardiac arrest. However, chest pain or discomfort, palpitations, dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, and unusual tiredness could indicate cardiac arrest in people with heart diseases. In addition, other heart conditions can present similar symptoms as that of cardiac arrest.
The symptoms of cardiac arrest develop suddenly and include:
Loss of responsiveness, pulse, and regular breathing.
The patient does not respond to verbal and physical communication attempts.
Loss of consciousness.
Changes in the skin color, such as paleness.
It is essential to seek medical attention when cardiac arrest occurs. The table below compares cardiac arrest and heart attack:
Feature
Heart Attack
Cardiac Arrest
Blood flow to part of the heart is blocked
The heart suddenly stops beating
The person is usually alert right at the start of the attack
The person suddenly collapses and loses consciousness
The person may experience chest discomfort, pressure, or pain
The person has no pulse or breathing
Requires emergency medical intervention
Requires emergency CPR and use of a defibrillator to restart the heart
How to React to a Person Experiencing Cardiac Arrest: What to Do Next
Once a person falls unconscious suddenly, the following steps should be taken:
Check responsiveness
The first thing to do when a person suddenly collapses is to check their responsiveness. To do this, shake the patient and call out their name.
Call emergency medical services.
Call emergency medical services or ask another bystander to do so while you begin CPR.
Do CPR right away.
CPR requires one to give manual chest compressions to the patient to keep blood flowing to the brain and other organs. To do CPR:
Place the heel of one hand on the middle of the person’s chest and the other hand on your hand.
Using your upper body, compress the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute, and push the chest down 5 to 6 centimeters.
Make sure to let the chest come back to its normal position after every compression. Keep doing CPR until professional medical help arrives or the patient regains consciousness.
Use an automated external defibrillator (AED)
An AED is a device that is used to shock the patient’s heart and help it restart beating. Using an AED involves the following steps:
Turn on the AED machine.
Follow the voice prompts and attach the AED pads to the patient’s chest as instructed.
Avoid touching the patient when the AED is analyzing the patient’s heartbeat or delivering a shock. If needed, the AED will tell you when to resume CPR.
Treatment and Medications at Hospital
At the hospital, the patient will receive emergency treatment and medications to support them while the heart restarts beating. The health professional may carry out the following procedures:
Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Defibrillation, Drugs, Airway management and Mechanical ventilation, Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).
Depending on the cause and severity of cardiac arrest, the health professional may decide to carry out specific treatments described below.
For instance, if the patient’s cardiac arrest was triggered by a heart attack; the healthcare professional may perform a Coronary angiography to re-open the blocked arteries. Additionally, the doctor may use a heart catheter to treat the patient. On the other hand, the doctor may prescribe anti-arrhythmic drugs to control the patient’s irregular heartbeats and improve the heart condition. The medication can help prevent future occurrences of cardiac arrest. Alternatively, if the patient is at risk of future cardiac arrests or has survived a sudden cardiac arrest, the doctor may recommend an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). An ICD is a small battery-operated device that is implanted below the skin to detect irregular heartbeats and send electrical pulses to the heart to help it restart beating.
Catheter Ablation
Ablation works by destroying heart tissues that cause irregular heartbeats. This procedure can be helpful for patients who have received treatment for a cardiac arrest. The doctor may use Ablation as a permanent solution for cardiac arrest.
Mechanical Circulatory Support
Sometimes, the doctor may recommend a mechanical circulatory support such as: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), Ventricular Assist Devices, and Heart transplantation.
Heart Transplantation is the recommended treatment option for patients with sudden cardiac arrests. It is a surgical procedure that involves replacing a diseased heart with a healthy heart from a donor. It is a viable option for patients with low chances of recovery from cardiac arrest, such as those who experience cardiac arrest due to heart disease.
Recovery and Rehabilitation from Cardiac Arrest
The recovery period from cardiac arrest differs depending on the patient’s condition and the treatment they receive. For instance, most patients who receive medication to control their condition require hospital treatment. In addition to medical treatment, the patient may need to attend several rehabilitative sessions such as occupational therapy and physical therapy. Cardiac arrest survivors may need to take medication to manage their condition for the rest of their lives.
Can Cardiac Arrest Be Prevented?
Even though one cannot completely avoid cardiac arrest, making heart-healthy lifestyle changes and working with a healthcare provider to manage medical conditions can significantly reduce the risks. For example, one can reduce high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, controlling stress, quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, reducing alcohol intake, and losing weight if overweight or obese can also reduce the risks. Finally, it is crucial that one does not overlook the warning signs and always consults a doctor.
Importance of Learning CPR
Generally, there are two critical factors that determine the survival rate of a patient with cardiac arrest: the response to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the number of people trained to provide CPR. Typically, a bystander is the first person to respond to a patient with cardiac arrest. Therefore, it is important that everyone learns how to provide CPR. It will enable the bystander to help the patient restart blood circulation to the brain and other body parts. In addition, the bystander who knows how to provide CPR increases the chances of the patient surviving cardiac arrest. Studies indicate that the more bystanders are trained and certified in CPR, the higher the chances of patients surviving cardiac arrest. In the same way, everyone should know how and where to access an automated external defibrillator (AED), and the skills to use it. Every institution, school, organization, or even a home should educate all members on where the AED is located in the premises.
Above all, everyone should know the warning signs of cardiac arrest, and what to do in case it occurs. The AEDs are essential, and everyone should understand how to use them in case of cardiac arrest. Knowing the warning signs and treatment options for cardiac arrest will enable one to provide better care to a patient. Thus, people should be able to respond effectively if they encounter a person who has experienced cardiac arrest.
Key Take-Home Message
Cardiac arrest is a sudden condition that requires professional medical intervention to treat. It occurs when the heart stops beating and the blood circulation is impaired throughout the body. As a result, the patient’s consciousness may be lost after a few seconds. For example, there is no regular breathing or pulse in the patient. In addition, if the patient does not receive proper care, several complications such as brain damage can occur. Cardiac arrest may be mistaken for a heart attack; however, cardiac arrest is unpredictable and can happen to anyone. On the other hand, the heart attack is a condition that occurs when blood flow to the heart is obstructed. Cardiac arrest may result from a heart attack and vice versa. Thus, both conditions require emergency management to avoid death.
