Cardiac Arrest- Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Options

1. Introduction Irregular heart rhythm can become the cause of sudden cardiac arrest that can stop all heart activities. In this case, the breathing stops, and the person becomes unconscious. In case the person doesn't receive immediate treatment, the result can be fatal. It is a medical emergency that should not be ignored. In most cases, 9 out of 10 people do not make it to the hospital. What is Cardiac Arrest? A heart attack and cardiac arrest are two different health conditions. When a portion of your heart's blood supply is cut off, it might result in a heart attack. At the same time, cardiac arrest is not because of blockage. However, because of a heart attack, there can be a change in your heart’s electrical activity that may lead to cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest occurs when your heart stops pumping suddenly, and blood stops flowing to your brain and other organs.

2. Causes of Cardiac Arrest You can have a cardiac arrest because of different kinds of arrhythmias that may prevent your heart from pumping. This is due to aberrant heartbeats caused by improper functioning of the heart's electromagnetic impulses. It can be either ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. Ventricular fibrillation, another name for the fast or irregular electrical impulses in the heart's lower chamber, is the most prevalent aberrant heart rhythm after cardiac arrest. There are other risk factors also associated, such as: ●Heart valve disease ●Coronary heart disease ●Arrhythmias due to faulty genes ●Congenital heart defects ●Cardiomyopathy ●Heart attack ●Other medical conditions, medicines ●Heart failure ●Cocaine ●LQTS - long QT syndrome ●Brugada syndrome ●Several injuries or illnesses with significant blood loss Despite all these, half of heart problems occur as patients are not aware that they have a problem. If you feel your loved ones or someone you know may be going through a cardiac arrest, always call Namostute, the multispeciality hospital in Gandhinagar, for immediate help. There can be many causes of medical conditions and traumatic incidents that may lead to cardiac arrest in children and adults. Some of them can be inherited disorders, electrical abnormalities, and structural changes in the heart. Symptoms of Cardiac Arrest Below are some symptoms that can tell a person if they are having a heart attack: ●When someone collapses suddenly and loses consciousness. ●If they are not breathing, breathing is ineffective, or they are gasping for air. ●They are not responding to shaking or shouting.

3. ●They have no pulse. ●Fatigue ●Dizziness ●Chest pain ●Nausea In some instances, people may not even experience any symptoms. So, remembering how they behave is very important or can be fatal. If you face problems like dizziness, chest pains, sudden numbness, and shortness of breath, you must immediately seek help from an emergency hospital in Gandhinagar. How to Do Diagnosis of Cardiac Arrest? When the emergency workers arrive, or the patient is taken to the cardiology hospital, a heart imaging test known as an electrocardiogram, like ECG or EKG. This test will show either no heartbeat or a severe ventricular arrhythmia. Thus confirming a cardiac arrest. In most cases, the diagnosis will happen post-cardiac arrest. Cardiac Arrest Treatment If you are wondering if there is any cardiology treatment for cardiac arrest, then the answer to it is yes. The emergency treatment includes CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation and giving shocks to your heart with an automated external defibrillator (AED). The person can survive if proper medical care is provided on time. As a part of emergency treatment, one must be given naloxone if it is caused by opioid overdose. The medical team mainly carries it with them. Further medications will be given through IV - intravenous lines as a treatment. What to Do If You Find Someone with Cardiac Arrest? If you find someone collapsed, try to perform a primary survey and check for their response, open their airway, and look for signs of life and normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds. If they are not responsive or breathing normally, ask for help. Ask anyone to call the surgical center in Gandhinagar and ask for an ambulance, and you start with CPR. If you can find a defibrillator, start to use it.

4. How to Do CPR? You must do CPR if the person is not breathing. Firstly, push hard and fast on that person’s chest; it should be 100-120 pushes a minute. If you know how to do CPR, check the person's airway. Then start with rescue breaths post every 30 compressions. If you don’t know how to do CPR, continue with chest compressions. Just ensure you are ultimately letting the chest rise between compressions. You must continue doing it till AED is available or an emergency worker arrives. You may also find portable AEDs in many public places, such as shopping malls and airports. If you have a heart patient, you can buy one for your house. It comes with step-by-step voice instructions and is programmed to shock only when needed. After Effects of Cardiac Arrest People who survive cardiac arrest can have life-long issues such as: ●Brain injury ●Ppsychological conditions such sadness, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder ●Injury to internal organs At What Age Cardiac Arrest Can Happen? The sudden death of young people has taken everyone by shock these days. Heart issues are considered to be the root cause. In most cases, a cardiac arrest does not happen until the age of 35. However, people at risk must take precautions. Conclusion To sum up, protecting heart health requires an awareness of cardiac arrest's complexity. People can take proactive measures in reaction and prevention if they know the causes, can identify the symptoms, and have access to various treatment alternatives. Whether it be by way of lifestyle adjustments, early medical intervention, or further research into novel treatments, the fight against cardiac arrest is still very much underway. Through raising awareness, encouraging early identification, and pushing for all-encompassing treatment, we can work toward a day where the likelihood of cardiac arrest is reduced, and each heartbeat is valued. You can always contact Namostute Hospital to know more about cardiac arrest and its prevention