Preparedness
During a Cardiac Emergency Can Save a Life
The CDC reports the
number one cause of death in America is due to cardiovascular disease, killing
696,962 Americans in 2020 (Leading cause of death, 2022). Heart
attacks are caused by interruptions of blood supply to the heart, making it
starved of oxygen. Common symptoms are pressure in the center of the
chest, pain in the shoulder, neck, and arms, fainting, sweating, and
nausea. The average person waits at least three hours before seeking help
for these symptoms (Heart attack first aid, 2022). Being trained
and prepared for a cardiac type of emergency, especially if someone has
pre-existing heart conditions, can help to save their life.
The national average
wait time for an ambulance to arrive is about 12 minutes. There are
usually people around during a cardiac emergency, however many individuals have
not been trained or have forgotten how to perform CPR. The Institute of
Medicine says less than 3% of Americans receive training each year. I
learned during research that the new CPR standard is now hands-only (CPR and
AEDs, 2022). There are many programs available that can train people
on appropriate procedures for CPR, along with teaching about AEDs. In a
case of a cardiac emergency, it is important to stay calm, have the individual
sit down, try to relax and breathe, loosen tight clothing, ask if they take any
medications or have any health conditions, and call for help.
An AED, or automated
external defibrillator is designed for by-standers to use, even without
training. They can detect two different cardiac arrhythmias (ventricular
fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia) and will provide a shock to
the heart to restore normal electricity to the heart to beat again.
Public Access Defibrillation is an initiative in many communities to provide
portable AEDs in public areas like schools, offices, malls and parks (The
what, when, where, why, and how of AED, 2022). These machines have
improved the chances of survival for individuals compared to CPR
alone.
Being ready in case of
a medical emergency is important, especially with conditions concerning the
heart. Goodrich (2018) recommends having medications like epinephrine,
albuterol, nitroglycerin, aspirin, oral glucose, diphenhydramine, and naloxone,
which if administered in time they can help save lives. I am studying to
be a substance abuse counselor, and the increase of opioid overdose deaths is
concerning. Opioid use disorder affects
nearly 2 million Americans and are causing cardiac arrest to individuals at
younger ages (Opioid-induced cardiac arrest are focus of new report, 2021).
The use of naloxone can reverse the effects of an overdose within
minutes. SAMHSA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, provides training and can supply individuals with this life-saving
medication (Naloxone, 2022).
References
CPR and AEDs. (2022). Eric Paredes
Save a Life Foundation. https://epsavealife.org/what-is-sca/cpr-and-aeds/
Goodrich, L (2018, December). Prepare
your medical office to respond to a cardiac medical emergency. Health
First. https://www.healthfirst.com/blog/respond-to-a-cardiac-medical-emergency/
Heart attack first aid. (2022). Mount
Sinai. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/injury/heart-attack-first-aid
Leading cause of death. (2022, January 13).
CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
Naloxone. (2022, April 21). SAMHSA. https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/medications-counseling-related-conditions/naloxone
Opioid-induced cardiac arrests are focus of
new report. (2021, March 8). American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/03/08/opioid-induced-cardiac-arrests-are-focus-of-new-report
The what, when, where,
why, and how of AED. (2022). Avive. https://avive.life/guides/what-is-an-aed/
No comments:
Post a Comment