1. Causes of Cardiac Arrest
A common cause of cardiac arrest is an arrhythmia. The patient's heart may beat very fast (tachycardia) or extremely slow (bradycardia), and irregularly.
In addition, several other possible causes of cardiac arrest include patients who were diagnosed cardiopathy such as:
– A heart attack (caused by coronary heart disease)
– Cardiomyopathy and some hereditary heart diseases
– Congenital heart disease
– Heart valve disease
– Acute myocarditis caused by bacteria, viruses, bacterial toxins, drugs, toxins.
2. Difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest
- Heart attack and cardiac arrest are not the same. A heart attack occurs when a blocked artery prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching a section of the heart, but the heart usually doesn’t stop beating, the patient can still breathe and be conscious. If the blocked artery is not reopened quickly, the part of the heart normally nourished by that artery begins to die.
- Cardiac arrest whereas is when the heart stops beating and stops pumping blood and provides oxygen to the brain and other organs. Patients in cardiac arrest will lose consciousness, be unable to breathe, or can only gasp
3. Who might be at risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)?
Sudden cardiac arrest often occurs in people with coronary artery problems. Nevertheless, sudden cardiac arrest often occurs without warning symptoms and people with these blow conditions:
– Family history of coronary heart disease
– Smoking and using stimulants
– High Blood Pressure
– High levels of cholesterol in the blood
– Overweight, obesity
– Diabetes
– Sedentary lifestyle
4. Do you suspect someone is experiencing cardiac arrest? These signs are:
– Sudden loss of responsiveness – If you tap them hard on the shoulders or ask loudly but the victim neither react nor move, speak, or blink.
– No breathing – Victim is not breathing or only grasping
What to do when you think someone has a cardiac arrest?
– Ensure scene safety .
– Check victim's responses.
– Shout for help, assign one person nearby to call 115 if you are in Vietnam, or 911 in the U.S.A (or you can find emergency telephone number in the region you are in). Ask that person or another person to bring you an AED (automatic external defibrillator if available).
– Check breathing, if patient is not breathing or only grasping, start doing high-quality CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)
– Begin high-quality CPR. Push down in the center of the chest with a depth of 5-6 cm and a rate of 100 to 120 times/minute. Allow the chest to recoil after each compression.
– Use an AED. As soon as the AED arrives, turn on the AED and follow the instructions.
– Continue CPR, until the victim starts to breathe, move, or until paramedics arrive.
Reference
Hoà, N. C. Ngừng tim là gì? VINMEC. Truy cập vào 7/11/2023, từ: https://www.vinmec.com/vi/tin-tuc/thong-tin-suc-khoe/suc-khoe-tong-quat/ngung-tim-la-gi/
Đô, V. T. (2022). Ngưng tim đột ngột: Dấu hiệu, nguyên nhân, chẩn đoán và điều trị. YouMed. Truy cập vào 11/7/2023, từ: https://youmed.vn/tin-tuc/ngung-tim-dot-ngot-dau-hieu-nguyen-nhan-chan-doan-dieu-tri/#3_Nguyen_nhan_nao_gay_nen_ngung_tim_dot_ngot
Cardiac Arrest. American Heart Association (AHA), từ: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cardiac-arrest