cardiac arrest / myocardial infarction

[mollykins]

are they both names for heart attacks or is a cardiac arrest slightly different?

[tiggerblue10]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiac_arrest

This should help.

[bobjugs12]

Cardiac Arrest - The heart stops pumping blood around the body, and the person dies. Essentially the heart goes into a massively irrregular ryhthym or stops completely, this means that the patient is not able to pump blood around thus not allowing oxygen and fuel to reach other parts of the body. Usually the course of treatment for an arrest is CPR, Defib, adreniline, oxygen, load em up and go like stink to the nearest resus room!

Mycardial Infarction - Also commonly called a heart attack. This is when one of the coronary arteries (the small blood vessels that supply oxygen and fuel to the heart muscle) becomes blocked. This causes the muscle to infarct (die!) thus preventing the heart from operating properly, leading to Cardiac Arrest. Treatemnt for an MI is oxygen, ECG, asprin, GTN, and run like a crazy man to the nearest Cardiac Care Unit or Cath Lab, and get the patient treated with an Angio.

Both are scary things and I've seen both a few times now. This is why any chest pain call will be treated with all haste, and we will send somebody out as soon as possible.

[mollykins]

Thanks for clearing that up, before I did a-level biology I always thought cardiac arrest was the posh name for a heart attack but then we were taught that it was myocardial infarction and then I got confused with what a C.A. was.

[LoftyLottie]

May I say bobjugs that it is an admirable job that you are now doing. My husband had a heart attack last year and I have nothing but praise for the ambulance crew and the service we got from them. You deserve twice the pay!!

I was savy enough to phone 999 immediately ignoring plees from Mr LL that he didn't need an ambulance. It was a very major heart attack.

Keep up the good work!! xx

[Sqad]

May causes of cardiac arrest of which myocardial infarction is the commonest.

bobjugs has given you a fuller explanation.

[rowanwitch]

Exception really need to be aware of...cardiac arrest in small children severe dehydration after prolonged diarrhoea/vomitting etc saw a couple lose one under five and very nearly their second in one late shift as a student nurse....charge nurse told us always always watch out for it and put dehydrated children in the resus room just in case until they are reviewed by a paediatrician.... it should always be taken seriously....

[mollykins]

Thanks guys and that's very useful info there rowan, i'm a first aider and i wasn't taught that but it may come in handy one day (hopefully it won't need to be though).