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Cardiac arrest, also known as sudden cardiac arrest, is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. As a result, blood cannot properly circulate around the body and there is diminished blood flow to the brain and other organs. When the brain does not receive enough blood, this can cause a person to pass out and become unresponsive. Cardiac arrest is also identified by a lack of central pulses and abnormal or absent breathing.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation, or mouth to mouth in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person who is in cardiac arrest. It is recommended for those who are unresponsive with no breathing or abnormal breathing, for example, agonal respirations.
Defibrillation is a treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, specifically ventricular fibrillation (V-Fib) and non-perfusing ventricular tachycardia (V-Tach). A defibrillator delivers a dose of electric current to the heart. Although not fully understood, this process depolarizes a large amount of the heart muscle, ending the arrhythmia. Subsequently, the body's natural pacemaker in the sinoatrial node of the heart is able to re-establish normal sinus rhythm. A heart which is in asystole (flatline) cannot be restarted by a defibrillator; it would be treated only by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and medication, and then by cardioversion or defibrillation if it converts into a shockable rhythm.
Ventricular fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm in which the ventricles of the heart quiver. It is due to disorganized electrical activity. Ventricular fibrillation results in cardiac arrest with loss of consciousness and no pulse. This is followed by sudden cardiac death in the absence of treatment. Ventricular fibrillation is initially found in about 10% of people with cardiac arrest.
Asystole is the absence of ventricular contractions in the context of a lethal heart arrhythmia. Asystole is the most serious form of cardiac arrest and is usually irreversible. Also referred to as cardiac flatline, asystole is the state of total cessation of electrical activity from the heart, which means no tissue contraction from the heart muscle and therefore no blood flow to the rest of the body.
An automated external defibrillator or automatic electronic defibrillator (AED) is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and pulseless ventricular tachycardia, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electricity which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm.
The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. They are known for publishing guidelines on cardiovascular disease and prevention, standards on basic life support, advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), pediatric advanced life support (PALS), and in 2014 issued the first guidelines for preventing strokes in women. The American Heart Association is also known for operating a number of highly visible public service campaigns starting in the 1970s, and also operates several fundraising events.
Basic life support (BLS) is a level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until they can be given full medical care by advanced life support providers. It can be provided by trained medical personnel, such as emergency medical technicians, and by qualified bystanders.
Laerdal is a multinational company that develops products and programs for healthcare providers, voluntary organizations, educational institutions, hospitals, and the military worldwide. Laerdal has over 2,000 employees in 26 countries. The headquarters is located in Stavanger, Norway.
Pulseless electrical activity (PEA) is a form of cardiac arrest in which the electrocardiogram shows a heart rhythm that should produce a pulse, but does not. Pulseless electrical activity is found initially in about 20% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and about 50% of in-hospital cardiac arrests.
Commotio cordis is a rare disruption of heart rhythm that occurs as a result of a blow to the area directly over the heart at a critical instant during the cycle of a heartbeat. The condition is 97% fatal if not treated within three minutes. This sudden rise in intracavitary pressure leads to disruption of normal heart electrical activity, followed instantly by ventricular fibrillation, complete disorganization of the heart's pumping function, and cardiac arrest. It is not caused by mechanical damage to the heart muscle or surrounding organs and is not the result of heart disease.
The AutoPulse is an automated, portable, battery-powered cardiopulmonary resuscitation device created by Revivant and subsequently purchased and currently manufactured by ZOLL Medical Corporation. It is a chest compression device composed of a constricting band and half backboard that is intended to be used as an adjunct to CPR during advanced cardiac life support by professional health care providers. The AutoPulse uses a distributing band to deliver the chest compressions. In literature it is also known as LDB-CPR.
The chain of survival refers to a series of actions that, properly executed, reduce the mortality associated with sudden cardiac arrest. Like any chain, the chain of survival is only as strong as its weakest link. The six interdependent links in the chain of survival are early recognition of sudden cardiac arrest and access to emergency medical care, early CPR, early defibrillation, early advanced cardiac life support, and physical and emotional recovery. The first three links in the chain can be performed by lay bystanders, while the second three links are designated to medical professionals. Currently, between 70 and 90% of cardiac arrest patients die before they reach the hospital. However, a cardiac arrest does not have to be lethal if bystanders can take the right steps immediately.
The history of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can be traced as far back as the literary works of ancient Egypt. However, it was not until the 18th century that credible reports of cardiopulmonary resuscitation began to appear in the medical literature.
Pediatric advanced life support (PALS) is a course offered by the American Heart Association (AHA) for health care providers who take care of children and infants in the emergency room, critical care and intensive care units in the hospital, and out of hospital. The course teaches healthcare providers how to assess injured and sick children and recognize and treat respiratory distress/failure, shock, cardiac arrest, and arrhythmias.
Mercy Hospital, located in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, is a 471-bed non-profit hospital that serves the northern Twin Cities metropolitan area. Mercy Hospital is a part of Allina Health.
Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adults – is called tachycardia, and a resting heart rate that is too slow – below 60 beats per minute – is called bradycardia. Some types of arrhythmias have no symptoms. Symptoms, when present, may include palpitations or feeling a pause between heartbeats. In more serious cases, there may be lightheadedness, passing out, shortness of breath, chest pain, or decreased level of consciousness. While most cases of arrhythmia are not serious, some predispose a person to complications such as stroke or heart failure. Others may result in sudden death.
Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is the resumption of a sustained heart rhythm that perfuses the body after cardiac arrest. It is commonly associated with significant respiratory effort. Signs of return of spontaneous circulation include breathing, coughing, or movement and a palpable pulse or a measurable blood pressure. Someone is considered to have sustained return of spontaneous circulation when circulation persists and cardiopulmonary resuscitation has ceased for at least 20 consecutive minutes.
Rearrest is a phenomenon that involves the resumption of a lethal cardiac dysrhythmia after successful return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) has been achieved during the course of resuscitation. Survival to hospital discharge rates are as low as 7% for cardiac arrest in general and although treatable, rearrest may worsen these survival chances. Rearrest commonly occurs in the out-of-hospital setting under the treatment of health care providers.
Every year sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) kills between 35,000 and 45,000 people in Canada and approximately 350,000 people in the United States; 85% of SCAs are caused by ventricular fibrillation (VF). Receiving defibrillation from an automated external defibrillator (AED) is a key component of the 'chain of survival' for victims of SCA. Chances of survival from a SCA decrease by 7–10% every minute that a victim does not receive defibrillation. Attempts at reducing time until defibrillation have largely focused on improving traditional emergency medical service (EMS) responders and implementing publicly available defibrillator (PAD) programs. In the United States approximately 60% of SCAs are treated by EMS. Equipping police vehicles with AEDs and incorporating them in the emergency dispatching process when a SCA is suspected, can reduce the time until defibrillation for a victim suffering an out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest. There are numerous studies which confirm a strong coloration between equipping police vehicles with AEDs and reduced time until defibrillation which ultimately translates into improved survival rates from SCA. As a result of these demonstrable statistics, police departments across North America have begun equipping some or all of their police vehicles with AEDs.
References
- ↑ "Call • Push • Shock – You Can Save a Life from Sudden Cardiac Arrest".
- ↑ Newman, Mary M; Chap, Jennifer; Sawyer, Kelly N; Ba, Youssou; Ba, Karen; Chap, Rick (November 11, 2016). "Abstract 20370: Baseline Consumer Study of Public Awareness About Sudden Cardiac Arrest". Circulation. 134 (suppl_1): A20370. doi:10.1161/circ.134.suppl_1.20370 (inactive 31 January 2024) – via ahajournals.org (Atypon).
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link) - ↑ Newman, Mary M; Chap, Jennifer; Ba, Karen; Ba, Youssou; Chap, Rick; Sawyer, Kelly N (November 6, 2018). "Abstract 225: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Messaging Study. The Public's Motivation to Learn CPR/AED Skills and to Act in an Emergency Increases With a Clear Understanding of SCA and the Impact These Skills Have on Increasing Survival". Circulation. 138 (Suppl_2): A225. doi:10.1161/circ.138.suppl_2.225. S2CID 81487474 – via ahajournals.org (Atypon).
- ↑ Committee on the Treatment of Cardiac Arrest: Current Status and Future Directions; Board on Health Sciences Policy; Institute of Medicine (November 7, 2015). Graham, Robert; McCoy, Margaret A.; Schultz, Andrea M. (eds.). Strategies to Improve Cardiac Arrest Survival: A Time to Act. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. National Academies Press (US). doi: 10.17226/21723 . ISBN 978-0-309-37199-5. PMID 26225413.
- ↑ "Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) Policy Resources". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 13, 2021.
- ↑ Newman, Mary M.; Lopez-Anderson, Martha E.; Chap, Jennifer F.; Caramanis, Carissa B.; Legg, Maureen; Graham, Margaret (2019). "Abstract 472: Organizations Unite in "Call-Push-Shock" Movement to Impact Public Understanding That Drives Action". Circulation. 140. doi:10.1161/circ.140.suppl_2.472. S2CID 213800925.
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