{"id":12077,"date":"2024-01-08T00:15:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T05:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.protrainings.com\/blog\/?p=12077"},"modified":"2024-08-13T14:38:59","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T18:38:59","slug":"cardiac-arrest-vs-heart-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.protrainings.com\/blog\/cardiac-arrest-vs-heart-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack: How to Reduce the Risk Factors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Table of Contents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  1. What Is Cardiac Arrest?<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. What Is a Heart Attack?<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack<\/a>\n
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    1. Signs<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Symptoms<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Treatment<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Outcome<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Causes of Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. How to Reduce the Risks of Cardiac Arrest<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    7. How Can I Get CPR Certified?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Cardiac arrest and heart attack are both major medical emergencies that can look the same to an untrained bystander. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Being able to tell the difference between cardiac arrest and heart attack is vital for knowing how to treat each one in an emergency and thus improving the victim\u2019s chances of survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The signs, symptoms, and treatment of a cardiac arrest versus a heart attack are actually different. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      According to UC Health<\/a>, both conditions must be treated quickly to reduce the risk of major complications or death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Here\u2019s what to know about the causes, signs, and risk factors of cardiac arrest versus heart attack, as well as the best ways to treat both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      If you prefer to start with a visual guide, check out our infographic on the differences between a heart attack and cardiac arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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      Download Our Infographic<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What Is Cardiac Arrest? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Cardiac arrest is defined as a sudden, unexpected ceasing, or arresting<\/em>, of the heartbeat.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How does this happen? There is a network of cells that transmit electrical signals to keep your heart beating. When that functioning is interrupted, the heart\u2019s electrical system malfunctions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When the body\u2019s electrical pulse malfunctions, several patterns can occur. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Ventricular fibrillation<\/strong>: a rapid, irregular heartbeat.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Ventricular tachycardia: <\/strong>an extremely rapid heartbeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Asystole<\/strong>: no electrical activity occurring in or around the heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Pulseless electrical activity:<\/strong> internal electrical signals are firing, but no mechanical heartbeat occurs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In any of these cases, immediate treatment is required to restore the heart\u2019s normal rhythm.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In cardiac arrest, a person will not have a detectable pulse and will lose consciousness, while having a  heart attack does not necessarily cause someone to become unconscious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Unfortunately, 9 out of 10 people<\/a> who have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) will not survive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Even if people do survive, they can suffer serious brain injuries, organ damage, or long-term psychological distress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What Is a Heart Attack?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      A heart attack is also known as a myocardial infarction<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Heart attacks happen when one or more of the two main coronary arteries become blocked<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Fatty, cholesterol-rich deposits called plaques can form inside the vessels of the heart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      When these plaques rupture, they can form a blood clot. The clot blocks blood flow in the arteries, leading to a heart attack<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Some heart attacks can strike suddenly, but many people receive warning signs and symptoms far in advance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      One of these early warning signs is angina, which refers to chest pain that lingers for days or weeks and doesn\u2019t go away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      While heart attacks have risk factors rooted in hereditary disease and genetic conditions, lifestyle choices including diet, smoking, and drug use are major contributors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Though the two terms are often used reciprocally, cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"ProTrainings<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      As we learned above, a heart attack happens when blocked arteries stop blood flow to the heart. Heart attacks can lead to cardiac arrest, however, because the blockages may disrupt the electrical signals to the heart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Cardiac arrest cannot and will not lead to a heart attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Share the signs, symptoms, and outcomes of cardiac arrest versus heart attack with this downloadable PDF<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Signs<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      During a heart attack, a person may become faint or sweaty or experience trouble breathing. The most recognizable symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain, which can radiate to the left arm, jaw, or back.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In cases of cardiac arrest, however, there\u2019s often no warning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Some people experience weakness, shortness of breath or heart palpitations in the minutes before a cardiac arrest. During cardiac arrest, the person will quickly lose consciousness and their pulse will no longer be detectable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Symptoms <\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      It may sound counterintuitive, but a heart attack can be symptomatic of an unhealthy lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Learn to recognize signs and symptoms of a heart attack with this video: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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