10 minutes to survive a SCA
80% of cardiac arrests occur in the home. If you fall victim to a cardiac arrest, time is of the essence. Every minute that goes by, your chance of survival reduces by 10 percent. Your chance of survival is zero after 10 minutes.
We all know about smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher being essential pieces of home safety equipment, but what about a defibrillator? With over 100,000 people dying each year in the UK from sudden cardiac death and the survival rate for those who suffer an attack outside hospital at only 2.5-5 per cent, it may be time to think about helping protect your family with a home defibrillator.
The home defibrillator is easy to use and requires no formal training. Michele Lieberman, manager of community strategies for emergency cardiovascular care with the American Heart Association, calls the units, which electrically shock the heart to start it beating again, "another link in the chain of survival."
Lieberman said the unit is "good for anyone" to have in their home but acknowledged that those with heart disease or a history of family heart complications are better candidates. "If we can get to the point where there is a defibrillator wherever there is a fire extinguisher, we can increase the survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest," said Lieberman.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)
SCA occurs when the heart's pumping chambers (ventricles) suddenly stop contracting effectively. The majority of victims have no warning as they have no prior symptoms. As a result of this failure, the heart assumes an abnormal, chaotic rhythm, causing the heart muscle to twitch spasmodically. The heart then loses its ability to effectively pump blood. This activity is called ventricular fibrillation (VF). Because the heart is not pumping blood, a person in VF usually has no detectable pulse.
The victim collapses, stops breathing and quickly loses consciousness due to a lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Death quickly ensues unless a normal heart rhythm can be restored within a few minutes. Once ventricular fibrillation has developed, time is the most crucial factor that determines the chances of successful resuscitation.
The only effective treatment for VF is defibrillation, a term used to describe the application of a high energy electric shock to the chest of the victim in an attempt to restart the heart.
Defibrillation in the Chain of Survival
Defibrillation is the third link in the Chain of Survival, a four-step intervention process which, if followed quickly and efficiently, can help save the lives of victims of SCA.
Step 1 is the emergency care call. When SCA strikes, an immediate 999 call is crucial; a delay of just a few minutes could prove fatal. By quickly recognizing a medical emergency, a bystander can help save a life. Could you recognize the symptoms of SCA?
Step 2 is early CPR. Prompt CPR can help sustain life during VF. The mouth-to-mouth breathing and chest compressions help oxygenated blood flow to the person's brain and heart. CPR by itself is unlikely to restart a heart that is stopped. It is only a holding strategy until defibrillation can be used.
Step 3 then is early defibrillation which can restore normal heart function if administered within minutes of SCA onset.
Step 4 is early advanced care. Paramedics and other highly trained medical personnel provide this care, which can include basic life support, defibrillation, administration of cardiac drugs, and the insertion of endotracheal breathing tubes.
This type of advanced care can help the heart in VF respond to defibrillation and maintain a normal rhythm after successful defibrillation. The trained personnel monitor the patient closely on the way to the hospital, where more definitive diagnostic evaluation can occur.
Symptoms of SCA v Heart Attack
A heart attack (or myocardial infarction) occurs when a blockage slows or stops blood flow to some part of the heart muscle. If the blockage is severe or if it is left untreated, that part of the heart muscle can die. Heart attacks do not necessarily cause cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death, although those conditions could result.
Heart attack and SCA produce different symptoms in their victims. Whereas SCA causes a person to collapse suddenly, a heart attack often provides some warning signs in advance.
Symptoms to look for in victims of SCA:
- Collapse and loss of consciousness
- Cessation of normal breathing
- Loss of pulse and blood pressure
Symptoms of heart attack victims:
- Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing, or pain in the chest
- Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck, or arms
- Chest discomfort with light-headedness, fainting
- Sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath
- Atypical chest pain, stomach, or abdominal pain
- Nausea or dizziness
- Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing
- Unexplained anxiety, weakness, or fatigue
- Palpitations, cold sweat, or paleness
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