First Aid treatment for heart attack?

Answer 1

To perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and artificial respiration (mouth to mouth resuscitation) effectively, training and frequent practice on resuscitation dummies are essential.

If the person is unconscious:

• are they breathing? Look at the patient's chest to see if it is rising and falling.
• do they have a pulse? Place two fingers on one or other side of the person's voice box in their throat to feel if they have a carotid pulse.

If the patient has a pulse but is not breathing:

• could it be because of suffocation? Feel inside the mouth with a finger to see if there is anything blocking it or the windpipe and remove any food or other objects. Provided that dentures are not broken, it is better not to remove them.
• call for help immediately, stating that the casualty is not breathing, and provide resuscitation (see below) until the patient begins to breathe or the ambulance arrives.
• • If possible, raise the legs up 12 to 18 inches to allow more blood to flow towards the heart
  • Immediately place the palm of your hand flat on the patient's chest just over the lower part of the sternum (breast bone) and press your hand in a pumping motion once or twice by using the other hand. This may make the heart beat again.

• If these actions do not restore a pulse or if the subject doesn't begin to breathe again:

  • call for help, stating that the casualty is having a cardiac arrest but stay with the patient.
  • find out if any one else present knows CPR.
  • provide artificial respiration immediately (see below).
  • begin CPR immediately (see below).
  • • If possible, raise the legs up 12 to 18 inches to allow more blood to flow towards the heart
    • Immediately place the palm of your hand flat on the patient's chest just over the lower part of the sternum (breast bone) and press your hand in a pumping motion once or twice by using the other hand. This may make the heart beat again.

  • Tilt the head back and lift up the chin.

    • Pinch the nostrils shut with two fingers to prevent leakage of air.
    • Take a deep breath and seal your own mouth over the person's mouth.
    • Breathe slowly into the person's mouth - it should take about two seconds to adequately inflate the chest.
    • Do this twice.
    • Check to see if the chest rises as you breathe into the patient.
    • If it does, enough air is being blown in.
    • If there is resistance, try to hold the head back further and lift the chin again.
    • Repeat this procedure until help arrives or the person starts breathing again

    • See if there is breathing. If not, start artificial respiration as described above. Checking for a pulse in the neck (carotid artery) may waste valuable time if the rescuer is inexperienced in this check. The procedure is:

      • place your fingers in the groove between the windpipe and the muscles of the side of the neck. Press backwards here to check for a pulse.

      If there is no pulse, or if you are unsure, then proceed without delay thus:

      • look at the person's chest and find the 'upside-down V' shaped notch that is made by the lower edge of the ribcage. Place your middle finger in this notch and then place your index finger beside it, resting on the breastbone. Take the heel of your other hand and slide it down the breastbone until it is touching this index finger. The heel of your hand should now be positioned on the middle of the lower half of the breastbone.
      • now place the heel of your other hand on top of the first. Keep your fingers off the chest, by locking them together. Your pressure should be applied through the heels of the hands only.
      • keep your elbows straight, and bring your body weight over your hands to make it easier to press down.
      • press down firmly and quickly to achieve a downwards movement of 4 to 5cm, then relax and repeat the compression.
      • do this 15 times, then give artificial respiration twice, and continue this 15:2 procedure until help arrives.
      • aim for a rate of compression of about 100 per minute. You can help your timing and counting by saying out loud 'one and two and three and four ...' etc.
      • • If possible, get someone else to help - one person to perform artificial respiration and the other to perform CPR. (This is not easily done without prior practice and it is well worth attending sessions on CPR training to become familiar with the technique.)
        • The ratio of chest compressions to breaths is 15:2 for both one-person and two-person CPR.
        • Continue until the ambulance arrives or the patient gets a pulse and starts to breathe again.
        • If the pulse returns and breathing begins but the person remains unconscious, roll them gently onto their side into the recovery position. This way mucus or vomit can get out of the mouth and will not obstruct the patient's breathing. It also prevents the tongue from falling back and blocking the air passage.
        • • If you succeed in resuscitating the person who has been taken ill, he or she may be confused and alarmed by all the commotion. Keep the patient warm and calm by quietly, but clearly, telling them what has happened.

        • Again, it needs to be emphasised that the only way to provide proper first aid and resuscitation is through learning the technique, then regular practice and guidance.

Answer 2

First off, the most common sign of a heart attack is chest pain. Many people who have suffered from heart attack almost always feel chest pain or a tightening of the chest during the onset of an attack. In the event that you feel chest pain, it is important for you to get in contact with a doctor immediately. While heart attack pain is often intense there are cases when the pain is mild and tolerable. However no matter how subtle the pain may be, it could be a symptom of a heart attack.

Answer 3

Heart attacks should be suspected for acute sub-sternal chest pain (especially when pain radiates to left jaw and arm, or does not become better or worse when breathing), difficulty breathing or catching your breath (especially with no coughing or known respiratory infection), weakness, syncope, or an altered mental status. One of the best ways people trained in first aid can help is being able to recognize signs and symptoms.

Things which increase the chance of heart attacks include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, Diabetes, old age, deep vein thromboses, atrial fibrillation, and smoking.

Call 911 immediately, the longer that definitive treatment is prolonged, the more cells become hypoxic and start to die.

Emergency dispatchers will often advise taking 324 mg of aspirin, which would be 4 chewable 81 mg baby aspirin. Tylenol and ibuprofen are NOT the same thing and aren't good alternatives. If the individual is prescribed nitroglycerin for this sort of pain, assist in giving him one if needed, make sure it's not expired.

Help EMS by compiling a list of medications, past medical history, and Allergies.

Answer 4

Beside calling for help? If you don't have anything, the best thing you can do is keep the person calm and comfortable as possible. This is because axiety, agitation, excitements, ect can increase the heart rate causing the heart work harder. We don't want this when the heart is presumably injured from the heart attack.

Answer 5

If someone is experiencing chest pains it is best to treat it as a heart attack. Have the person sit down and make them comfortable and call 911 as soon as possible. In some cases it may be best to give the person Asprin as it works as a blood thinner.

Answer 6

call 911. there is nothing else you can do

Answer 7

Have the person chew an aspiring and do a CPR.