Many think both terms are the same. Here’s why they are not:
WHAT IS CARDIAC ARREST?:
- Cardiac arrest is an ‘electrical” problem.
- It occurs when the heart stops beating unexpectedly.
- Is triggered by an electrical malfunction that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).
- With its pumping action disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs, and other organs.
WHAT IS A HEART ATTACK?
- Heart attack is a “circulation” problem.
- It occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked.
- A blocked artery prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching a section of the heart. If not reopened quickly, the part of the heart nourished by that artery begins to die.
WHAT HAPPENS:
- In cardiac arrest, within the seconds, the person begins gasping for breath and soon becomes unresponsive.
- Death occurs quickly if the person doesn’t receive immediate CPR.
- In heart attack, Symptoms include intense discomfort in chest or other areas of upper body, shortness of breath, cold sweats, and/or nausea/vomiting. More often, symptoms start slowly and persist for hours, days or weeks before a heart attack. The heart usually doesn’t stop beating. But the longer it takes for treatment, the greater the damage.
WHAT IS THE LINK?
Most heart attacks don’t lead to cardiac arrest. But the common cause of a cardiac arrest is a heart attack. Other conditions may also disrupt the heart’s rhythm and lead to cardiac arrest.
WHAT TO DO:
- Call an emergency ambulance, start CPR immediately if you know how to do it and use an automated external defibrillator if available.
- Even if unsure, call an ambulance. A study in the American Heart Association journal says chewing aspirin greatly helps reduce deaths.
Heart attack symptoms can differ among genders (besides chest pain, women are prone to jaw or back pain.)
