Cardiac Arrest | Cardiac Arrest Symptoms

Sudden cardiac is the abrupt stop to the functioning of the heart. In most cases the result will be fatal, because there won't be enough time to give the immediate medical care. The sudden cardiac arrest occurs within minutes of symptoms appear.

Cardiac arrest don't occur suddenly. Mostly it is preceded by symptoms lasting more than an hour. These symptoms usually occur in cases with a known history of heart disease or risk factors. The patient may or may not have diagnosed for heart disease. Unlike heart attack, cardiac arrest is given less publicity and many failed to read the symptoms correctly. The most common cause is the coronary heart disease, that is the blockade of coronary artery due to fatty deposits on its walls.

A study by German investigators refute the theory that sudden cardiac death occurs at random in apparently healthy or low-risk patients. Dr.Dirk Muller and his team studied the cases of 406 patients who suffered sudden cardiac arrest and obtained cardiac histories and the median duration of warning for 323. Their team belongs to University of Berlin and the results are published in the Journal Circulation.

Results showed that 22 per cent had experienced angina (chest pain) for 120 minutes, Dyspnea (difficulty in breathing) was present in 15 per cent for 30 minutes, nausea or vomiting in seven per cent for 120 minutes, dizziness or fainting in five percent for 10 minutes, while other symptoms lasting 60 minutes were reported by eight percent. Only twenty five per cent had no warning symptoms at all.

The team's finding reveals that these symptoms were misinterpreted, suppressed or denied despite the presence of a pre-existing cardiac disease or cardiac risk factors. Some had other risk factors such chronic lung disease diabetes and smoking.

The patients at risk and their relatives should be educated regarding symptoms and how to perform basic life support system, stressed Muller's team.

Delaying every minute will put the patient at a great risk. Don't put some reasons for the symptoms you will be experiencing and delaying immediate admission in a hospital. This applies more to the persons who have no previous history of heart disease. You will be thinking that you are healthy and the symptom doesn't relate to heart problem. But who knows, what the condition of heart is inside.