People die every day and many believe that is the nature of human existence. The worrisome part of this is the rate at which people die of heart attack is becoming alarming and calls for close examination.
Medical expert, Dr. Wale Farayola during an online health sensitization programme revealed a about this deadly health condition. Below are the excerpts from his lecture which are quite instructive:
“I shall be discussing Cardiac Arrest today. Cardiac arrest in simple layman’s term means when the heart suddenly stops pumping i.e. loss of mechanical cardiac contraction (pulse less electrical activity). The clinical diagnosis is based on the victim being unconscious and having no pulse, breathing may take some time to stop completely after cardiac arrest.
“If effective treatment is not given immediately the victim is sure to die. The condition usually results from a problem with your heart’s electrical system, which disrupts your heart’s pumping action and stops blood flow to your body. Sudden Cardiac Arrest isn’t the same as a heart attack, when blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked. However, a heart attack can sometimes trigger an electrical disturbance that leads to sudden cardiac arrest. It can liken cardiac arrest to when NEPA cuts off electricity and all systems are paralyzed. Incidence is about 100,000 per year in Nigeria. CARDIAC ARREST IS AN EMERGENCY
SIGNS OF A CARDIAC ARREST
“Cardiac Arrest usually happens without warning. If someone is in cardiac arrest, they collapse suddenly and will be unconscious, will be unresponsive and won’t be breathing or breathing normally – not breathing normally may mean they’re making gasping noises.
CAUSES OF CARDIAC ARREST
“I can liken Ventricular fibrillation to when NEPA brings high or low voltage and the light destroys the home appliances A common cause of a cardiac arrest is a life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF happens when the electrical activity of the heart becomes so chaotic that the heart stops pumping, instead, it quivers or ‘fibrillates’.
The main causes of Cardiac Arrest related to the heart are:
A heart attack (caused by coronary heart disease), Cardiomyopathy and some inherited heart conditions, Congenital Heart Disease, Heart Valve Disease, and Acute Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle).
Some other causes of cardiac arrest include: Electrocution, a Drug Overdose, a Severe Haemorrhage (known as Hypovolaemic shock) – losing a large amount of blood, and hypoxia – caused by a severe drop in oxygen levels.
WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR
Call emergency medical help if you experience any of these signs and symptoms:
Chest Pain or Discomfort, Heart Palpitations, Rapid or Irregular Heartbeats, Unexplained Wheezing, Shortness of Breath, Fainting or near fainting, Lightheadedness or dizziness.
HOW TO PREVENT SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST?
Death is best treated by prevention. Most sudden death is associated with heart disease, so the at-risk population remains males older than 40 years of age who smoke, have high blood pressure, and diabetes (the risk factors for heart attack). Other risks include syncope (fainting or loss of consciousness) and known heart disease.
So it is pertinent for people above 40 years of age to keep close eye on their BP, blood sugar, cease smoking, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I will also want us to be careful of all these coloured concoctions that are mixed in satchet nylons in the name of “agbo” malaria and typhoid.
TREATMENT FOR CARDIAC ARREST
The AEDs (Automated External Difibrillatora) are supposed to be at schools, airports, train station and other public places
The vast majority of people whose heart stops beating unexpectedly have ventricular fibrillation. The definitive treatment for this is defibrillation using electricity to shock the heart back into a regular rhythm. With technological advances, AEDs are now a routine sight wherever people congregate.
Communities which institute public CPR education, use of AEDs, and rapid activation of emergency medical services have dramatically increased survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, because the brain is so sensitive to the lack of oxygen and blood flow, unless treatment occurs within four to six minutes, there is a high risk of some permanent brain damage.
Should the patient survive to be transported to the hospital, the reason for collapse and sudden death will need to be diagnosed. Regardless, the ABCs of resuscitation will be re-evaluated. Airway, Breathing, and Circulation (heart beat and blood pressure) will be supported, and admission to an intensive care unit is most likely.
There are certain first line drugs which are but these are for the paramedics and doctors to give. Everybody should learn how to perform CPR and institute basic life support BLS because cardiac arrest is an emergency.
