WHAT IS SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST ?
WHAT IS SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST ?
For a layman sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a sudden, unexpected failure of heart function occurring due to fast fluttering or sudden cessation of action of the ventricles, which does not allow enough blood to be pumped out to the organs, which include the brain and the heart itself.
Medically it is defined as non-traumatic, unexpected fatal event occurring within 1 hour of the onset of symptoms in an apparently healthy subject. If death is not witnessed; the definition applies when the victim was in good health 24 hours before the event.
TO SUMMARIZE: It is unexpected death of otherwise apparently healthy person within hours
THIS IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY
The heart's electrical activity becomes disordered. When this happens, the heart's lower (pumping) chambers contract in a rapid, unsynchronized way- "fibrillate" rather than beat. The heart pumps little or no blood. Collapse and sudden cardiac arrest follows.
SCA is fatal if not treated immediately by prompt and appropriate emergency care which involves administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), shock treatment to the chest to reset the heart's rhythm (defibrillation) and advanced life support.
WHAT IS THE WINDOW PERIOD FOR REVIVAL ?
Sudden cardiac arrest is reversible but the window period to revive is extremely short. Reviving a victim with sudden cardiac arrest is like snatching life from jaws of death. After a cardiac arrest there are four to six minutes before brain death occur. Chances of survival reduce by 7-10 % with every passing minute.
In India because of lack of awareness and immediate and adequate medical intervention at present more than 99% of Indians who experience sustained ventricular fibrillation face certain death.
TO SUM UP FOR SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST: ACT JUST NOW OR ELSE IT WOULD BE TOO LATE
Learn CPR Save life
Cardio pulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a life-saving first aid measure which can increase patient's survival. CPR, helps to circulate the blood to provide oxygen to the body, the brain and the other vital organs. The window period of revival from sudden cardiac arrest is just few minutes after which permanent brain injury or death occurs.
Site CoWHY SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST HAPPENS ?
Abnormal heart rhythms
This occurs due to sudden appearance of three possible rhythms in heart
1-Ventricular fibrillation
2-Ventricular tachycardia
3-Asystole
WHAT IS VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION ?
Ventricular Fibrillation (VF), the abnormal heart rhythm that most often leads to sudden cardiac arrest, is treatable. If the heart can be shocked quickly with a defibrillator, a normal heart rhythm may be restored. An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable device used to administer an electric shock to the heart and restore the heart's normal rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest.
It is essential that defibrillation be administered immediately following the cardiac arrest. If the heart does not return to a regular rhythm within 5-7 minutes, this fibrillation could be fatal. If defibrillated within the first minute of collapse, the victim's chances for survival are close to 90 percent. For every minute that defibrillation is delayed, survival decreases by 7 percent to 10 percent. If it is delayed by more than 10 minutes, the chance of survival in adults is less than 5 percent.
LOST TIME IS NEVER FOUND AGAIN
The propensity to die suddenly relates to genetic or acquired changes in the electrical or mechanical properties of the heart with multiple transient factors that participate in triggering the fatal event.
50% of cardiac arrests occur in individuals without a known heart disease, but most suffer from concealed ischemic heart disease or genetic diseases, which could be diagnosed easily by proper awareness and medical screening.
WHAT IS VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA?
Is a type of fast heartbeat that arises from abnormal electrical activity in the lower chambers or ventricles of the heart. This rhythm is more organized as compared to ventricular fibrillation but may turn into ventricular fibrillation or itself lead to hemodynamic instability and cardiac arrest. It is found initially in about 7 % of people with cardiac arrest.
In diseased-scarred hearts and weak hearts with poor pumping capacity, patients with coronary artery disease or certain electrical problems of heart are associated with increased risk of ventricular tachycardia.
This is an emergency and immediate defibrillation is needed in most of cases.
WHAT IS ASYSTOLE?
Asystole is a state of no electrical activity from the heart and therefore no blood.On ECG you will see a flat line .It is found in about 28 % of people in cardiac arrest. Out of hospital survival rates are poorest in asystole and less than 2 %.
