Cardiac Emergencies Objectives

1
Cardiac EmergenciesObjectives

1. Identify the common cause of a heart attack
2. List signs and symptoms of a heart attack
3. Identify the care for a heart attack
4. Recognize the primary signs of cardiac arrest
5. Describe the purpose of CPR
6. Be able to perform CPR
7. 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 hearts
  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

1. Recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart
   attack
2. Call EMS
3. Convince the victim to stop activity and rest
4. Help the victim rest comfortably
5. Comfort victim
6. Assist the victim with medication, if prescribed
   (Nitroglycerin - vasodilator)
7. Be prepared to give CPR if the victims 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 hearts 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

1. You see an obvious sign of life such as
   breathing.
2. An AED is ready to use.
3. Another trained responder or EMS personnel take
   over.
4. You are too exhausted to continue.
5. The scene becomes unsafe.