Heart Attack
Treatment
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| A heart attack is caused by damage to the heart muscle due to lack of oxygen which begins to cause cellular death of vital tissue. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart can no longer pump properly to ensure proper blood distribution throughout the body. These conditions are medical emergencies and require prompt attention or will cause serious physical damage and most likely death within a period of a few hours. Unfortunately, some symptoms of heart trauma are mild enough to go unnoticed or even ignored; studies have shown that people wait on average three hours between onset of symptoms and reporting to a hospital for treatment. This delay in action is what causes heart attacks to be the number one killer of people in America today. The sooner treatment is given, the more likely a victim of a heart attack will survive.
If you are suffering from a heart attack, then you should seek immediate medical attention. First aid for heart attacks include:
1. Sit the victim down and attempt to keep them calm.
2. Loosen or remove any tight clothing.
3. See if the victim has a known heart condition and ask if he/she takes a chest pain medication.
4. Assist the victim in taking the medication
5. If rest and medication do not reduce the pain within 3 minutes of taking medication, call for emergency medical assistance.
6. If an adult is unresponsive and unconscious, call 911 or your local emergency number and begin Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
7. If an infant or child is unconscious and unresponsive, perform 1 minute of CPR, then call 911.
Do Not
• DO NOT leave the victim alone except to call for help.
• DO NOT allow the victim to persuade you not to call for help.
• DO NOT wait to see if the symptoms subside.
• DO NOT give the victim anything by mouth except a prescribed heart medication
With prompt medical treatment, victims of heart attacks stand a better chance of survival. Every second is critical.
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