Sudden Cardiac Arrest
WHAT HAPPENS IN A SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST?
Structural damage of the heart, a chemical imbalance or other reasons may disrupt the hearts electrical system.
Suddenly the heart will not beat rhythmically anymore and will quiver uncontrollably.
The blood flow to the brain will diminish.
The person will faint.
If it does not resume pumping within 3 minutes, sudden death will occur.
THERE MAY BE EVIDENCE of structural abnormalities.
THERE WILL BE NO EVIDENCE OF HEART DAMAGE, if chemical imbalances were the cause.
INVESTIGATING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY may reveal causes.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A HEART ATTACK?
A HEART ATTACK is medically called a MYOCARDIAL (heart muscle) INFARCTION (death by lack of blood supply / oxygen).
There has been a blockage of the blood supply to part of heart muscle, causing some heart cells to die.
The heart is muscle that pumps blood to heart itself, the brain and the body.
When the blood flow is obstructed all cells are deprived of oxygen including heart cells.
The person will feel chest pain.
When heart cells are deprived of oxygen rich blood, they start to die.
This causes bordering cells to become electrically unstable.
This in turn may cause the heart to beat arrhythmically.
This will cause the blood supply to the brain, body and heart to stop.
Death will occur within 3 minutes.
THERE WILL BE HEART MUSCLE CELL DAMAGE
• WHAT TO DO
DURING A SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST
1. ACT QUICKLY
Get the victim’s heart beating again within four to six minutes after arrest, before brain death sets in, you may save his/her life.
Normal heart beat must be restored with an electrical shock(with the use of a defibrillator) or with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
A victim’s chances of survival are reduced by seven to 10 percent with every minute that passes without the heart beating.
2. DEFIBRILLATE
Defibrillators are found more and more frequently at gyms and airports, and other public places.
If defibrillators were present at sports grounds, they could have saved the lives of athletes who suddenly collapsed.
AFTER AN ARRHYTHMIC CARDIAC OR SUDDEN DEATH EVENT
A sudden death event in your family needs a thorough investigation. If you had a relative who had a similar experience or died in a similar way, the risk of dying suddenly may also threaten you and other members of your family. This is because the underlying cause may run in your family, that your family may carry an inherited susceptibility to sudden death.
Ask for a post mortem examination. The pathologist should be able to identify the underlying cause of death in about 80% of cases.
If there is no clue, it could mean that the underlying fault could only be found in a working heart. There are tests that can be done on other living relatives that may pick up problems and save lives. A physician with specialist knowledge of sudden death does these tests.
DOCTORS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EVENT
What were the manner and circumstances of death?
Was the deceased recently ill or is there a history of illness?
Was the deceased taking any medication for illness, if so what type of medication?
Had the deceased recently travelled and if so where?
What symptoms had the deceased displayed?
Was the deceased always healthy?
What was the sporting history of the deceased?
Was there a history of episodes of loss of consciousness?
Had these ever been ascribed to epilepsy or fainting spells?
DOCTORS QUESTIONS ABOUT CLOSE RELATIVES OF THE EVENT
Is there a family history of heart disease?
Have any relatives suffered loss of consciousness labelled as epilepsy or fainting spells?
Is there a history of other sudden unexpected deaths in the family, even those that have been ascribed to drowning or car accidents?
Contact other relatives to find out if any other family members have died suddenly or have experienced typical symptoms associated with Sudden Death.
REMEMBER
When tragedy strikes, the natural course of events, and the well-meaning advice offered, is often to accept the circumstances of the death and to bury the deceased.
However, in the case of sudden unexpected death, especially in a young and apparently fit person, there may be good reasons to ask more questions and to take some precautionary measures to try and avoid a repeat of the sorrow.