Prepare to be a Heart Saver
Often people think of a “heart attack” and cardiac arrest
as being one and the same. A
“heart attack” is often associated with an uncomfortable sense of
pressure, fullness or squeezing pain in the center of the chest that
may last several minutes or more.
This pain may spread to the neck, arm, shoulders and may be
associated with lightheadedness, shortness of breath, sweating and a
generalized feeling of illness. A
“heart attack” is one of the primary causes of a cardiac arrest.
On the other hand, cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops
effectively pumping and this is often associated with erratic
electrical impulses of the heart.
This very irregular heart rhythm is called ventricular
fibrillation and it causes the heart to stop suddenly.
Many people think of a cardiac arrest as something that only occurs in
older people with heart disease; however, it may occur in infants,
children and adults as a result of trauma, choking, drowning,
electrocution or respiratory failure.
The American Heart Association has identified February as
American Heart Month. The
theme this year is “Be An
American Heart Saver! Know
the Warning Signs of a Heart Attack.
Call 9-11. Give
CPR. The goal of this campaign is to raise community awareness of
“heart attack” and cardiac arrest so that more Americans will be
poised to act effectively in the race against time to save the
victim’s life. The
victim may be your wife, your husband, your child, a neighbor, parent
or even a complete stranger. As
soon as the event occurs the race against time begins and
unfortunately each day for more than 700 Americans the race is
lost---they die before reaching the hospital.
If you know how to take quick appropriate action when faced
with this emergency you may be responsible for saving the life of
someone you dearly love.
More than fifty percent of the United States is now covered by the
9-11 emergency medical services system that links homes like yours to
a network of trained emergency personnel dispatchers, emergency
medical technicians, nurses, doctors and fire, police and ambulance
personnel. First, call
9-11 when you recognize the symptoms of a heart attack or cardiac
arrest. Immediately
afterward begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) since it can
effectively maintain vital blood flow to the heart and brain until the
patient can get more advanced care.
CPR combines rescue breathing with chest compressions that keep the
victim’s blood oxygenated and circulating.
CPR is effective only when performed correctly and that
requires expert training. Certification
classes are available through the American Heart Association, the Red
Cross and local hospitals. When you finish your CPR training you will have a skill that
may prove to be invaluable sometime when you least expect it.
Sign up soon to be an American heart saver!
It may make the difference between life and death for someone
near and dear to you.
|
|
