Training For Life Blog
Often times sudden cardiac arrest is mistaken as a heart attack. Both conditions affect the heart, but what are the differences? Here’s the basic difference: A heart attack is a circulation problem Sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical
Training For Life Blog
Often times sudden cardiac arrest is mistaken as a heart attack. Both conditions affect the heart, but what are the differences? Here’s the basic difference: A heart attack is a circulation problem Sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical problem Heart Attack Cause: A heart attack is caused by a blocked artery that stops the blood flow to the heart. Symptoms: The symptoms come on slowly (anywhere from hours to days) and can include chest pain, cold sweats, and nausea. Treatment: Call 911 Cardiac Arrest Cause: The heart malfunctions and sets into an irregular rhythm called arrhythmia. As a result, the heart cannot pump blood to other parts of the body. Symptoms: The victim becomes unresponsive. Treatment: Call 911, perform CPR and use an AED if present Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death. Outside a hospital setting, 360,000 people die annually in the US from cardiac arrest.
If you want to see a visual representation of the differences, the American Heart Association has a great infographic here
Often times sudden cardiac arrest is mistaken as a heart attack. Both conditions affect the heart, but what are the differences? Here’s the basic difference:
A heart attack is a circulation problem
Sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical problem
Cause: A heart attack is caused by a blocked artery that stops the blood flow to the heart. Symptoms: The symptoms come on slowly (anywhere from hours to days) and can include chest pain, cold sweats, and nausea.
Treatment: Call 911
Cause: The heart malfunctions and sets into an irregular rhythm called arrhythmia. As a result, the heart cannot pump blood to other parts of the body.
Symptoms: The victim becomes unresponsive.
Treatment: Call 911, perform CPR and use an AED if present
Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death. Outside a hospital setting, 360,000 people die annually in the US from cardiac arrest.
Don’t Trust Everything You Read Online!
A technique called cough CPR has been receiving a lot of attention from social media. This technique is not recommended by the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. Cough CPR is a method of forcefully coughing in order to keep the blood flow to your brain and keep you from passing out during cardiac arrest. The main problem with cough CPR is that the victim is almost always unresponsive and therefore unable to cough. In the rare chance that the victim is responsive, cough CPR can delay other treatment that will be more effective. There is also a large risk that the victim will misjudge what condition they are experiencing.
You can read more about why AHA doesn’t recommend this method here.
Great product, horrible supply issues. Yes, the backordering for any Cardiac Science items continues to plague our industry. The company is trying to catch up, but in the meantime we all are still have challenges in getting supplies. One way our company has approached this is to have a stock of batteries and pads in-house ready for distribution to our clients that subscribe to our AED Program Services package. In the month of expiration, they will receive the battery or pads right on time. For all others, I guess you will have to order all supplies two months in advance.
So just read another piece on the popularity of the mechanized CPR compressions by the Lucas Device. Having performed CPR thousands of times over a 30 year career I have mixed feelings on this topic. Early versions of an "auto-pump" type of device were cumbersome to apply and the power supplies were questionable. Knowing that many years have passed since then, I can't help but wonder how this tool fits in today.
California employers must now allow CPR to be performed in the workplace as per a new law just signed by Governor Brown. This new law is in response to the event that occurred in March of 2013 in Bakersfield, California and is detailed below.
Here is my take on this specific issue.
- There is a huge difference between quality of life and quantity of life, and one does not necessarily equal the other.
- There is usually little benefit to be gained by artificially prolonging the life of someone who does not wish it (irrespective of whether the resuscitation is fully successful). Once one looses hope, little else remains to keep them alive.
- If you are terminally ill, or elderly enough to know you’re willing when God is ready to take you, then take the time to have a Do Not Resuscitate Order created. Just ask your doctor, it’s easy. Then by all means, keep a copy on your refrigerator (for the Fire and EMS to find), with your caretakers, or even get a medic alert bracelet or neckless to ensure your wishes are complied with. If it can’t be found in the moment it is needed, it’s as if you never created the DNR order.
ABC News reports
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - All companies must now allow employees to perform CPR during emergency situations. The law comes after an incident in Bakersfield.
Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill over the October weekend prohibiting companies from creating policies banning employees from performing CPR.
The new law comes in response to an incident at took place earlier this year at Glenwood Gardens. Lorraine 