She smiled, and there it was again, that aching pressure in his chest. Love, or a heart attack. Kind of the same thing. ~ Somebody to Love
Uh, no. It’s not the same thing at all. However, I’ll excuse her literary license since my conclusions over decades have been much more egregious. I’ve been using the phrase “cardiac arrest” the same way I would “heart attack.” They are in no way interchangeable. The only reason I know this is the CPR training I took with other GSMNP volunteers a few weeks ago. While we’re volunteering, we all face the possibility of being someone’s conduit to the next breath or the next heartbeat, even if it’s only because we have radios. They’re critical because cellphones in Cades Cove are useful primarily to the extent they function as timepieces and cameras.
If we (volunteers) encounter an emergency, we need to be at least knowledgeable. Well, and “do no harm.” But first, let’s talk terms.
What's the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest?
The American Heart Association (AHA), tells us that a heart attack is a “circulation” problem and sudden cardiac arrest is an “electrical” problem. Easy for them to say. What does that mean, exactly?
Heart attacks occur because a blocked artery is preventing blood (chock full of the oxygen we all need) from getting to a particular part of the heart. The attack may be painful or it may pass by as silently as your last thought. The longer the artery remains blocked, the more damage the blockage can do, even though the heart usually continues to beat during the attack.
On the other hand, a cardiac arrest is when the heart stops due to an electrical disruption in the heartbeat. As you probably already know, the blood isn’t pumping when the heart stops. No oxygen is being delivered. There is no pulse. Breathing stops.
What can a non-medical professional do to help?
Plenty. During the session, our group learned–or relearned–ways to differentiate symptoms to facilitate appropriate basic life support responses. We had instruction and the facilitators used dummies to illustrate several life-saving skills. Here are a few tasks we learned:
- First steps – check to detect responsiveness, pulse, and breathing.
- If the person is non-responsive and has no pulse, cardiac arrest is a definite possibility.
- Call–or assign a bystander to call–for professional help immediately, making sure to provide adequate details: location, approximate age, gender, the apparent issue and what resources are available at your location.
- Begin chest compressions.
- Use an automated external defibrillator if you or another person available is familiar with the process. Use of an AED significantly increases chances of a happy ending.
- If the person is responsive, determine the extent of any injuries. No one needs to call emergency services if the person simply tripped, for example. Not necessarily.
Part of the challenge for me, apart from the lack of muscle tone that enables strong compressions, is the reluctance to press as hard as is necessary. However, if the situation involves cardiac arrest, the patient will die if you don’t get the heart pumping. Don’t tiptoe around the process.
Other things to remember:
- If someone isn’t breathing regularly, the problem might be choking. Knowing how to do the Heimlich maneuver would be handy. 🙄
- Both chest compressions and the Heimlich are done differently on infants.
- For all sizes and ages of injured parties, if chest compressions are indicated, don’t stop until the patient is responsive or emergency services arrive.
Your safety is of paramount importance, regardless of the condition of the patient. If the scene appears unsafe, just call 911 and don’t put yourself in danger. You’ll help no one if you are injured while attempting to help someone else.
Among credible sources are AHA, accessed for this post, as well as the Cleveland Clinic and a host of others. Even if you can’t take classes, you can read up on causes, care, and consequences.
Here's the pitch
I mentioned earlier that my fellow volunteers and I function without cell service. There’s that, and the fact that emergency services are not located at every mile marker in the Cove. It might be a minute before an EMT or paramedic can get to the scene of an accident or other medical emergency. People who are already on the scene are the ones who can deliver immediate assistance. Well, they can if they are prepared.
Most of my life–and likely yours–is lived in an environment that IS conducive to emergency calls. However, in an emergency situation, even five minutes can be critical to the continued well-being of a person who is in crisis mode. What if the EMTs are understaffed? What if the traffic or the weather or anything else slows response? Cardiac arrest victims can die in minutes if they don’t receive treatment.
Whatever my location, I certainly hope that my skills are equal to the challenge if I encounter someone needing immediate basic life support. Equally important, I hope that if I am that person whose heart has lost the plot (stopped beating), someone around me can extend my life at least until professional help arrives.
You?
Well said. Last I heard they quit calling it the heimlich maneuver because the family of the man who invented it has filed suit lol. People are ridiculous.
I’ll have to hear more about that. The only thing I can find is a disagreement on the way the maneuver is executed. But you’re right. People are ridiculous.
Cuz
Good morning,
Great advice. In a two week period many years ago I used CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver. The CPR patient was provably deceased before I got there according to the Dr, but I saved the choking victim (Aunt Irlby) who was choking on a fish bone. I need to get my recertification .
Thanks for talking about this
Thanks
So glad you were prepared to help them both, even if it was too late for the one. I am all in on the idea that we have skill sets that will be needed for a particular situation, and the more we can learn, the better prepared we will be for that moment.
Being 10 months post a triple bypass I can tell you this is indeed serious business. An MRI nor any non-evasive diagnosis can accurately detect blockage, so unless you have a catheterization, the doctor does not know. Isotope stress test is the best non-evasive indicator. There is a high correlation of heart disease to family history. Google the symptoms, watch for them and if you have family history going against you, get yourself a cardiologist and get a stress test every couple of years. Bypass surgery is not user friendly and not near as much fun as advertised.
Can’t say I ever heard that bypass surgery was user-friendly or fun, and I hope not to find out on my own. 😳
I’ve always loved the Bee Gees, but never more than when I discovered that CPR heart compressions done to the beat of their immortal song “Stayin’ Alive” can save lives! Thanks for your blog on this most important topic, Gayle.
Ha! The instructors DID mention that trick and I forgot to include it in the piece. Thanks for the reminder.