A heart
attack (myocardial infarction- MI) is a serious medical emergency that requires
immediate care to prevent damage to the ticker and death. The life-saving
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR technique comprises chest compressions and
rescue breaths) should be started if the victim goes into a cardiac arrest,
when the heartbeat has stopped and the individual is unresponsive. Although,
CPR doesn’t restart the ticker but keeps the victim alive until medical help
arrives, that’s why the procedure is called life-saving.
AED or
Automated External Defibrillator device is available in many public places
these days which is an easy-to-use device, can be used by almost anyone to
treat cardiac arrest. The device works by shocking the ticker back into a
normal rhythm.
Heart attack
treatment often begins in the ambulance itself if you called 911, or in the
emergency room. Aspirin (a potent inhibitor of blood clots) is the first
treatment given to a person suspected of having a heart attack. Aspirin can
decrease the risk of death from MI by 25 percent.
MI
Treatment in the Hospital:
A heart
attack victim is rapidly given other drugs at the hospital or emergency
facility to prevent further blood clotting in the ticker and decrease the
strain on it. Treatment may also include a procedure to open up arteries that
are blocked:
Balloon
Angioplasty- This
treatment can be performed during a cardiac catheterization that
involves insertion of a balloon-tipped catheter into the blocked artery in the
ticker. The balloon then is inflated gently to press plaque outward against the
artery walls in order to open up the artery and improve the flow of blood.
Bypass Surgery- A surgeon re-routes blood flow
around a blocked artery to re-establish blood flow to part of the ticker.
Surgeons use a blood vessel from the victim’s leg or chest to bypass the
blocked artery. Bypass surgery isn’t a part of the emergency care of MI and is
usually done later.
Stent
Placement- A small
tube is inserted through a catheter into a blocked artery to open it up in the
procedure. The stent is permanent and is usually made of metal or some other
material that the body absorbs over time. The procedure is often performed
alongside balloon angioplasty to help keep the artery open.
Patents of
myocardial infarction are usually hospitalized in coronary care units (CCU) for
at least 36 hours. They continue to receive a variety of drugs once past the
critical phase that includes beta-blockers to slow the ticker; nitrates to
increase ticker blood flow; blood thinners like aspirin, Brilinta, clopidogrel, Effient, heparin, or
Plavix to prevent further clotting; ACE inhibitors; Statins (cholesterol-lowering
drugs are now given routinely to help with healing of heart muscle and to lower
the risk of another episode) and a “baby” aspirin.
A patient’s
ticker in the hospital is constantly monitored by electrocardiogram (ECG) in
case abnormal heart rhythms develop. A patient may be given various medications
if his or her ticker starts beating too fast or too slow. A pacemaker may also
need to be fitted in some patients to help maintain a steady heart rhythm. An
electric shock is administered to the chest of a patient in case the patient
experiences a dangerous arrhythmia known as Ventricular Fibrillation. Doctors
give a variety of medications to patients who show signs of heart failure. The
medications decrease strain on the ticker and encourages the ticker to beat
more forcefully.
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