Saturday, March 16, 2024

What’s The Difference Between Cardiac Arrest And Heart Attack

Don't Miss

What Is The Link

What’s the difference between cardiac arrest and a heart attack?

These two distinct heart conditions are linked. Sudden cardiac arrest can occur after a heart attack, or during recovery.; Heart attacks increase the risk for sudden cardiac arrest. Most heart attacks do not lead to sudden cardiac arrest. But when sudden cardiac arrest;occurs, heart attack is a common cause. Other heart conditions may also disrupt the hearts rhythm and lead to sudden cardiac arrest. These include a thickened heart muscle , heart failure, arrhythmias, particularly ventricular fibrillation, and long Q-T syndrome.

Fast action can save lives. Find out what to do if someone experiences a heart attack or cardiac arrest.

What Is The Difference Between Sudden Cardiac Arrest And A Heart Attack

When it comes to heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest, there can be a general misunderstanding that they are similar, if not the same, conditions. However, both are medical emergencies related to heart health, understanding the difference between them is incredibly important. A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is interrupted, typically by a blood clot, whereas a sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes it to stop beating entirely.

How Is A Heart Attack Treated

The first port of call for treatment, is for doctors to treat the blocked artery.

There are two main procedures used to open up the blocked blood vessel.

The first, a primary percutaneous coronary intervention is an emergency coronary angioplasty.

It opens the blockage and helps restore blood supply to the heart.

The second treatment, is thrombosis, also known as a “clot buster”.

It involves injecting a drug into the vein to dissolve the blood clot and restore blood supply to the heart that way.

In some cases this procedure can be performed in the ambulance.

While these treatments are common, in some cases they will not be right for the patient and so won’t be performed.

You May Like: What’s Resting Heart Rate

Primary Care For Heart Health In North Richland Hills Texas

Here at EMC Express Care, our experienced medical team offers primary care to patients who are at risk of heart conditions. Our compassionate physicians provide a personal touch and will give you an evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment so you can get back to living your life.

Just walk right in during our extended hours every day! If you have any questions about our urgent care clinic, feel free to call us at 503-8800. We look forward to taking care of you and your family.

While Strokes Also Deal With Blood Flow Theyre Not Based In The Heart

Do you know the difference between cardiac arrest and a ...

There are two major types of strokes: Ischemic and Hemorrhagic. Ischemic is where a blood clot cuts off the supply of blood to an area of the brain. Wherein hemorrhagic strokes are a little different: They happen when you have bleeding in the brain via a ruptured blood vessel.

Symptoms of a stroke typically include a sudden, severe headache, sudden numbness or weakness; paralysis , confusion or difficulty with speech, difficulty understanding people, loss of balance, and sudden vision change.

Treatment varies depending on the type of stroke someone had. If its an ischemic stroke, doctors will need to get the blood clot but surgery can be performed, too.;

While these are all different conditions, they share many of the same risk factors, including smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. So talk to your doctor about prevention if you have one or more risk factorsespecially if you have a history of these events in your family.

If you or someone you know experiences symptoms of any of these conditions, get to the emergency room right away. A fast response is crucial to saving lives.

Visit our events page for information on future CPR Classes and other hospital happenings: Events

Don’t Miss: Is Your Pulse And Heart Rate The Same Thing

Is There A Connection Between The Two

Even though a heart attack can potentially cause a sudden cardiac arrest, most heart attacks do not lead to it. However, it is possible for a sudden cardiac arrest to occur after a heart attack, or during the recovery period. ;

Heart conditions that lead to a cardiac arrest include a thickened heart muscle , heart failure, arrhythmias, particularly ventricular fibrillation, and long Q-T syndrome.

The Difference Between Heart Attack Cardiac Arrest And Stroke

Heart attack and cardiac arrest often used interchangeably but they are not the same. Most times, you might not even know whats actually going on in your body during these events. They, irrespective, are two serious conditions involving the heart and require immediate medical attention.;

To throw more light to this health issue, we spoke to Kingwood Emergency Hospitals Dr. Kim Waaso who explained the difference between these conditions, including the signs and risk factors you should know about.

According to Dr. Waaso, A heart attack is when lack of oxygen to the heart leads to the death of heart muscle tissue. The longer you wait to get medical treatment, the more severe the damage, even resulting in death. Kingwood Emergency Hospital is staffed with Board Certified ER Physicians and we are fully equipped to deal with any heart-related issue.

You May Like: How Do You Calculate Target Heart Rate

What Is Cardiac Arrest

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs suddenly and often without warning. It is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat . With its pumping action disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs and other organs. Seconds later, a person loses consciousness and has no pulse. Death occurs within minutes if the victim does not receive treatment.;

Tips To Avoid Sudden Cardiac Arrest

What’s the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest?

Sudden cardiac death usually occurs in adults in their mid-30s to mid-40s and affects males twice as often as it does females. This disease is rare in kids, affecting only 1 to 2 per 100,000 children each year.

In the younger population, sudden cardiac arrest occurs while playing outdoor games; in about one in 100,000 to one in 300,000 athletes, and more often in men.

Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young sportspersons, but the incidence of this disease is unclear. 1 in every 50,000 sudden cardiac deaths a year occurs in young athletes.

In older athletes, sudden cardiac arrest occurs more often while jogging or running. About one in 15,000 joggers and one in 50,000 runners suffer from sudden cardiac arrest.

Many of these sudden cardiac deaths can be prevented if little ones, young ones, and older ones learn about this disease in detail, recognize the early warning symptoms of SCA and seek medical attention before a crisis occurs.

Recommended Reading: Does Baby Aspirin Help Prevent Heart Attacks

Consult Dr Anurag Sharma: The Best Cardiologist In India

Dr. Anurag Sharma is the best heart specialist in India who has successfully cured various heart patients. He has years of experience in handling all kinds of heart diseases and performing complex invasive and surgical procedures.

Consult Dr. Anurag Sharma and make your heart disease-free.

Trust, compassion for the profession and patients, and quality medical service forms the foundation on which our cardiac services and procedures are built. This helps us in achieving exceptional judgments and outstanding outcomes, even for the most complicated cardiac cases.

Useful Links

Is A Cardiac Arrest Always Deadly

It is possible to survive a cardiac arrest, but it is vital to get the right treatment quickly.

VF can be corrected by shocking the heart with a defibrillator, by a paramedic, doctor or member of the public if there is a community defibrillator nearby.

If not, performing CPR until a paramedic arrives is vital to keep blood flowing around the body, and to help the patient breathe.

Recommended Reading: What Should My Active Heart Rate Be

Q: Whats A Heart Attack And Why Is It A Plumbing Problem

A. Your coronary arteries are the pipes that supply blood to the heart. Sometimes, heart arteries get clogged by fatty deposits called plaques . When that happens, its harder for the blood to flow around the plaque.

Think of a slow-draining sink when the pipe gets clogged with hair or debris, water doesnt flow freely. And this problem can be life-threatening when its your heart: If not enough oxygenated blood reaches the heart muscle, the muscle tissue begins to die a heart attack.

What Is A Stroke

Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack Infographic_Facebook ...

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked. This is typically caused by

a blood vessel that has burst or become clogged. There are two common types of

strokes: hemorrhagic and ischemic. Hemorrhagic strokes involve bleeding on the brain

caused by a ruptured blood vessel. As the bleeding occurs, it damages the brain. An

ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot cuts off the supply of blood to a

particular area of the brain. The longer that part of the brain goes without blood

flow, the more likely it will be to shut down and die.

Symptoms of a stroke may vary, but often include a sudden and severe headache,

numbness or weakness on one side of the body, confusion, difficulty speaking and/or

understanding people, loss of balance, sudden vision changes and paralysis of the

face, arm or legs. Its important to note that brain cells can begin to die within

minutes of a stroke occurring. As such, immediate medical attention is necessary.

Treatment will depend on the type of stroke in question. With ischemic strokes,

doctors will need to go after the blood clot. If caught early enough, this can be

done non-invasively through the use of a medication called TPA. Emergency surgery

for catheterization and stent placement may also be required. With a hemorrhagic

stroke, doctors must control the bleeding. This involves managing the blood pressure

and flushing any blood thinners from the body. Stroke survivors may recover

Read Also: Is 190 Heart Rate Bad

What Is A Cardiopulmonary Arrest

A;cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest, happens when your heart suddenly stops pumping blood around your body.

Someone who has had a cardiac arrest will collapse unconscious.

Their breathing will be irregular and may stop, and they will be unresponsive.

When a cardiac arrest happens there is no time to lose, it is a life-threatening emergency, and calling an ambulance is vital.

While waiting for an ambulance performing CPR can help keep a person alive.

To perform CPR:

  • perform chest compression – pumping the heart from outside the body to keep blood flowing until the ambulance arrives
  • rescue breathing – mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to inflate the lungs

What Is The Difference Between A Heart Attack And A Cardiac Arrest

A heart attack happens when your heart muscle cant get enough blood. This can happen because there is a blockage in one of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle, or if there is a spasm in one of the blood vessels. Sometimes, it can happen when there is increased stress on the heart. Symptoms of a heart attack include:

  • Chest pain
  • Pain in the left side of the jaw or left arm
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea

A cardiac arrest happens when your heart suddenly stops pumping blood normally. This can happen because the heart stops beating or develops an abnormal rhythm that keeps it from effectively pumping blood. Some people who have a cardiac arrest have a history of heart disease, but some do not. Symptoms of a cardiac arrest are loss of consciousness and loss of pulse.

Read Also: Does Fever Increase Heart Rate

What Causes A Heart Attack

In most cases a heart attack will be triggered by coronary heart disease.

Coronary heart disease is where the coronary arteries, that supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood, become narrower.

This happens over time, as fatty materials build up in the blood vessel.

If a piece of the fatty material then breaks off, it can cause a blood clot.

When the clot is big enough to block the artery it can cut off the blood supply to the heart muscle.

This is a heart attack, which can also be referred to by it’s medical names myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome or coronary thrombosis.

The NHS recently relaunched;a tool that predicts when you will have a heart attack or stroke.

How Is Cardiac Arrest Different

Cardiac arrest vs. heart attack: what’s the difference?

A cardiac arrest is where the heart stops beating. Just like a heart attack, cardiac arrest is an emergency. The person will experience irregularity in the beating of their heart, which can disrupt the normal pumping of blood to the brain and other internal organs.

Cardiac arrest is usually triggered by an electrical problem in the heart. Patients with heart disease are more likely to experience cardiac arrest than are those who do not have heart disease. Ultimately, cardiac arrest is life-threatening, and the patient may suddenly stop breathing. Call 911 right away.

Don’t Miss: When To Go To The Hospital For Rapid Heart Rate

Heart Attacks Are More A Circulation Problem

While cardiac arrest is caused by a disruption in the “electrical” a system of your heart, a heart attack is caused by a problem with your circulation.

Small arteries branch out from all around your heart. These arteries help supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart. Occasionally, the arteries will become blocked. When this happens the blood cannot get to the heart. If the artery is not cleared in a timely manner, the heart will become damaged and a number of problems can occur.

There are a number of signs and symptoms that indicate you may be experiencing a heart attack. Signs of a heart attack include:

  • Shortness of breath

Heart Attack Vs Cardiac Arrest

Whats the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest? Its pretty common for people to confuse these two terms. After all, they both describe heart emergencies. While its true that these conditions can be related to each other, the terms are not interchangeable. They are, in fact, different conditions that shouldnt be confused. This article will look at the differences of a heart attack vs. cardiac arrest.

Also Check: Why Is Resting Heart Rate Important

Difference Between Cardiac Arrest And Heart Attack

March 18, 2011 Posted by Dr.Guru

Cardiac Arrest vs Heart Attack

Cardiac arrest and heart attack are two different entities. However both are serious medical emergencies. A Lot of people used to confuse with the meaning of cardiac arrest and heart attack.

Cardiac arrest is also known as circulatory arrest. In cardiac arrest the blood does not pump out of the heart and thus arrest the blood circulation. Heart attack is a cause of cardiac arrest. In heart attack the blood supply to the heart muscles is impaired. This results in lack of oxygen supply to the cardiac muscles. Heart muscle will die if there are no supply of oxygen and fuel for its function. Usually heart attack is caused by block in the coronary arteries. Coronary arteries are the vessels that supply the blood to the heart. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart attack. Cholesterol deposition in the vessel will block the blood supply. The family history of heart attack is associated with increased risk of developing heart attack. Diabetes mellitus, smoking, obesity and lack of exercise also increase the risk of heart attack.

Heart attack can be mild to severe. Depending on the amount of the cardiac muscle and the site of the muscle death, the out come may vary. If the heart attack is severe, immediate death results. Myocardial infarction presents as severe tightening pain in the chest. It may be associated with sweating. If the heart attack is severe it causes cardiac arrest.

The Symptoms And Treatment Of A Heart Attack And Cardiac Arrest Are Different Too

Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack Infographic_Instagram ...

People who are suffering from a heart attack will typically have symptoms like chest pain or tightness that happens when theyre resting or exerting themselves. Since heart attacks deal with a blockage, they can be treated with medications.

With cardiac arrest, people often just pass out. They may feel dizzy or light-headed and suddenly blackout. Immediate treatment with a cardiac arrest is CPR and a shock with a defibrillator to jump-start a persons heart.

Don’t Miss: Heart Rate When Having A Heart Attack

Cardiac Arrest Vs Heart Attack

The main difference between Sudden Cardiac Arrest vs heart attack is the underlying problem that occurs in the heart.;

  • Cardiac arrest is an electrical problem;where a malfunction in the hearts electrical system causes it to stop beating. Normally, the heart is controlled by regular electrical impulses that make it beat. When Sudden Cardiac Arrest happens, these electrical impulses become scrambled and the heart can no longer pump blood around the body.;
  • By contrast, a;heart attack is when the blood supply to the heart is cut off due to a blockage in an artery. This blockage causes damage to the heart and the muscle begins to die.;

Key Differences Between Heart Attack & Cardiac Arrest

Heart Attack

Heart attacks usually occur due to the blockage of a coronary artery in the heart. Cardiac Arrests usually occur when the heart stops beating due to certain reasons. The primary cause for getting heart attacks is due to the blood clots that occur in the arteries. Cardiac arrests cause the stopping of the heart, leading to heart failure primarily due to Ventricular fibrillation. Heart attacks may be caused due to a variety of different factors including drowning, shock, hypothermia etc. Cardiac arrests, on the other hand, can also occur due to heart attacks. Symptoms of a heart attack are chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. Symptoms of a cardiac arrest are unconsciousness, shortness of breath and no pulse Heart attack victims are usually smokers and people with unhealthy diets. Cardiac arrest victims may also be overweight people and those without regular exercise.

If you liked this article and would like to read more articles download the BYJUs app today! For more information like this, you may want to read more upon Heart Disease

Stay tuned with BYJUS to know more about;Heart Attack, Cardiac Arrest and other interesting topics;@;

You May Like: How Do You Calculate Max Heart Rate

More articles

Popular Articles