Chest Pains / Heart Attack
Cardiac arrest
What is it?
When the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body. This starves the brain of oxygen causing the casualty to fall unconscious and stop breathing normally or at all.
Signs & Symptoms:
- Sudden collapse
- Unconciousness
- Unresponsiveness (when spoken to or touched)
- Not breathing or not breathing normally
Heart Attack:
Symptoms:
- Chest pain
- Pain in other parts of body
- Shortness of breath
- Light headed, dizzy or weak
- Sweating
- Rapid, weak or irregular pulse
- Overwhelming anxiety
First Aid:
- Call emergency services
- Ask to sit down comfortably
- Chew aspirin tablet ? (only if over 16 yrs old & not allergic to aspirin)
- Take angina medicine (if they have any)
- Reassure, monitor breathing, pulse & responsiveness
- Prepare to do CPR if casualty becomes unresponsive and stops breathing normally.
Angina:
What is Angina?
Chest pain that occurs when arteries become narrower, restricting blood flow to the heart
Symptoms:
- Chest pain that may spread across body
- Breathlessness
- Sudden tiredness
- Anxiety
First Aid:
- ASK if they have history of angina - if 1st time or don't have meds contact emergency services
- Ask to sit down on floor with knees bent & shoulders supported
- Take GTN (glyceryl trinitrate) which is often a spray - if they have any...
- If no GTN - Chew aspirin tablet 75mg (only if over 16 yrs old & not allergic to aspirin) if not subsided within 5 mins take another dose.
- Rest & reassure - usually only lasts approx 10mins
- Prepare to do CPR if casualty becomes unresponsive and stops breathing normally.
What you student's should be able to do / understand after the session:
- Understands that heart attack is a form of shock
- Knowledge of the causes of heart attack
- Knowledge that heart attack is a common cause of sudden illness in an adult
- Understands angina attacks often occur with exercise, and are frequently relieved by rest
- Can identify symptoms of a heart attack
- Knowledge of differences between heart attack and angina
- Can treat and position a casualty appropriately
- Understands the use of aspirin in the case of a heart attack or angina
