Health care by Sweetie Friend

Health care

Heart attack – emergency first aid
What should you do if someone has a heart attack?
Getty - heart attack

A heart attack will cause severe chest pains behind the breast bone, often radiating towards the left arm.

If someone has a cardiac arrest orheart attack, there may be only a few minutes to act before it is too late. It is vital to know what to do beforehand.

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

First aid courses are offered all over the country at night schools or by voluntary organisations such asSt John AmbulanceorBritish Red Cross.
How can you tell if someone is having a heart attack?

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 there is no breathing or pulse, the patient has had a cardiac arrest.
What help is needed?

    * Immediately place the palm of your hand flat on the patient's