Cardiac Arrest, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

This book describes Cardiac Arrest, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related DiseasesCardiac arrest happens when the heart suddenly ceases beating. When this happens, blood flow to the brain and the rest of the body also ceases. Cardiac arrest is a medical emergencyIf it is not treated within a few minutes, cardiac arrest most often causes death. CausesA heart attack is not a cardiac arrest; they are not similar.
A heart attack occurs when a blocked artery obstructs the flow of blood to the heart. A heart attack can injure the heart, but it does not necessarily cause death. Occasionally a heart attack can activate a cardiac arrest, however. Cardiac arrest is caused by a problem with the heart's electrical system, such as:1. Ventricular fibrillation (VF)When VF occurs, the lower chambers in the heart fibrillate instead of beating regularly.
The heart cannot push out the blood, which leads to cardiac arrest.2. Heart blockThis happens when the electrical signal is slowed or stopped as it moves through the heart. Disorders that may lead to cardiac arrest are:1. Coronary heart disease (CHD)2. Heart attack3. Abnormal levels of potassium or magnesium4. Severe physical stress5. Recreational drugs6. MedicinesSymptoms1. Sudden loss of consciousness; a person will fall to the floor or slump down if sitting2.
No pulse3. No breathingDiagnosisCardiac arrest happens so fast that there is no point doing tests. If a person survives, most tests are done afterwards:1. Blood tests to check for enzymes that can show there is a heart attack.2. The doctor may also use blood tests to check the levels of certain minerals, hormones, and chemicals.3. Electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the heart's electrical activity.4.
Echocardiogram to show if the heart has been damaged5. Cardiac MRI helps the doctor see pictures of the heart and blood vessels6. Nuclear ventriculography to check how well the heart is pumping blood7. Intra-cardiac electrophysiology study (EPS) to monitor the heart's electrical signals is working.8. EPS is used to check for abnormal heartbeats or heart rhythms.9. Cardiac catheterization lets the doctor to see if the arteries are narrowed or blocked10.
Electrophysiologic study to evaluate the conduction system. TreatmentCardiac arrest needs emergency treatment right away to get the heart started again.1. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)This is often the first form of treatment for cardiac arrest. It can be done by anyone who has training in CPR.2. Defibrillation. This is the most important treatment for cardiac arrest. It is done with a medical device (defibrillator) that gives an electrical shock to stimulate the heart to beat normally.
If the patient survives cardiac arrest, the patient will be admitted to a hospitalDepending on what caused the cardiac arrest, the patient may need other medicines, procedures, or surgery. The patient may have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placed under the skin near the chestBystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)The spectator use of automated external defibrillators raises neurologically intact survival to defibrillator dischargeMedicines used in cardiac arrest are:1.
Ventricular arrhythmia: Epinephrine or vasopressin; amiodarone and lidocaine2. Pulse-less electrical activity (PEA): Epinephrine; atropine used in bradycardia3. Asystole: vasopressin is better than epinephrineSurgery1. Temporary cardiac pacing2. Radiofrequency ablation3. Cardioverter defibrillator therapy4. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)5. Excision of ventricular tachycardia foci6. Excision of left ventricular anuerysm7.
Aortic valve replacement8. Orthotopic heart transplantTABLE OF CONTENTIntroductionC...