HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acting quickly is important when someone has a heart attack. Speedy action may be even more crucial with sudden cardiac arrest. But what's the difference? Dr. Jeremy Finkelstein, medical director of emergency services at The Methodist Hospital in Houston,Texas, helps explain causes of heart attack and cardiac arrest.
What is a heart attack? During a heart attack, blood flow to the heart is blocked. Getting to the hospital immediately is important so doctors can restore blood flow before the heart muscle is damaged from lack of oxygen. Treatment is most effective when started within an hour of the first symptoms.*
What is a cardiac arrest? Sudden cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating suddenly because of a problem with the heart's electrical system. While a heart attack typically has symptoms, such as chest pain in men and unusual fatigue in women, the first sign of SCA is usually collapse or loss of consciousness.
The Cardiac Chain of Survival
If you're present when someone has sudden cardiac arrest, you can help by recognizing the situation quickly and being the first link in what the American Red Cross calls the "Cardiac Chain of Survival."
The first step is to call 911.
The next step is a combination of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and using an automated external defibrillator (AED). An AED is a medical device that can analyze a heart's rhythm and deliver an electric shock to return the rhythm to normal. The Red Cross recommends that one person in every household be trained in CPR lifesaving skills, and all Americans be within four minutes of an AED and someone trained to use it in the event of sudden cardiac arrest.
Saving Lives with AEDs
The Red Cross estimates that up to 50,000 sudden cardiac arrest deaths could be prevented each year if someone initiates the Cardiac Chain of Survival and an AED is available for immediate use. SCA victims who receive immediate CPR and AED shock within five minutes have a heart attack survival rate as high as 48 to 74 percent.** Without immediate treatment, more than nine out of 10 people do not survive sudden cardiac arrest.*
Be Prepared
Have you ever wondered what you would do if someone needed your help in a medical emergency? For more information on The Methodist Hospital in Houston, call 713.790.3333 or visit www.methodistkirbyer.com.
* Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
** Source: American Red Cross
CONTACT:
The Methodist Hospital in Houston
Gale Smith, 832-667-5843
Public Relations/Marketing Manager
www.methodisthealth.com
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