Why should you respond immediately to signs of heart attack?

Sudden cardiac arrest strikes more than 356,000 Americans every year. According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, about 90% of these Americans die. If someone had taken immediate action to help these people, their chance of survival would have been much higher. Time is extremely constrained in this situation, and quick responses to someone exhibiting signs of a heart attack are essential to avoid further harm. Responding immediately can preserve the heart muscle, improve survival rates, and prevent complications such as heart failure, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), and other cardiovascular issues.

So, what are signs/symptoms someone may exhibit when experiencing a heart attack?

Well, here are some indicating signs/symptoms:

• Sudden loss of responsiveness: The person may suddenly collapse and not respond to any triggers.

• Grabbing the left side of their chest or arm: Most heart attacks involve uncomfortable pressure or pain in the left side of your chest.

• Difficulty breathing: Feeling short of breath or having difficulty breathing.

• Vomiting: Some people experience nausea or vomiting before chest pain.

• Cold sweat: Having cold, pale skin.

Let’s take a look at the story of Omar Clunis, a teenage soccer player who experienced sudden cardiac arrest. Omar was celebrating with his teammates after a game in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Athletic trainer Ashley Chrestman had just watched that game and moved on to monitor a baseball game on a nearby field. Then she got a call from Stratford High School, informing her about an emergency.

She hurried to the scene and discovered Omar Clunis lying on the ground, struggling to breathe and appearing to experience a seizure. “He's known to have asthma, so everybody thought that maybe he had an asthma attack and just ran out of breath and passed out.” However, Chrestman, a member of the health sports medicine team, promptly assessed the situation and realized it was not an asthma attack, but cardiac arrest.

“He did have a pulse when I first arrived, but he lost his pulse. So that's when I started CPR and took his shirt off to place the AED,” Chrestman said. Emergency medical technicians from Berkeley County arrived to take over caring for the young man Chrestman had helped stay alive until the necessary assistance arrived. Omar survived thanks to the quick action of Chrestman and the Berkeley County EMTs.

The recent headlines have highlighted the alarming trend of numerous athletes collapsing due to this dangerous condition. Much like Omar, these individuals had the advantage of having sports medicine specialists present who could quickly take action.

Every moment counts, Alec Decastro, a sports and family medicine doctor at MUSC Health, said. “The minutes that a person gets treatment before the ambulance arrives could mean the difference between life or death.”

SOURCES CITED:

Adams, Helen. “Teenage Soccer Player’s Sudden Cardiac Arrest Shows Importance of on-Site Athletic Trainers.” MUSC, web.musc.edu/about/news-center/2023/09/05/teenage-soccer-players-sudden-cardiac-arrest-shows-importance-of-on-site-athletic-trainers. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Clinic, Mayo. “Heart Attack.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/symptoms-causes/syc-20373106. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

“Warning Signs of a Heart Attack.” Www.Heart.Org, 3 Aug. 2023, www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/warning-signs-of-a-heart-attack.

Admin. “First Aid Training.” HSE STUDY GUIDE, 6 Oct. 2023, www.hsestudyguide.com/first-aid-training-2/.

Written by: Navya Nagireddy