MEDICAL SURFARI: PREPARE TO SAVE A HEART; TAKE CPR TRAINING

Often people think of a "heart attack" and cardiac arrest as being one and the same.

A "heart attack" is often associated with an uncomfortable sense of pressure, fullness or squeezing pain in the center of the chest that may last several minutes or more. This pain may spread to the neck, arm and shoulders and may be associated with lightheadedness, shortness of breath, sweating and a generalized feeling of illness.

A "heart attack" is one of the primary causes of a cardiac arrest. On the other hand, cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops effectively pumping, and this is often associated with erratic electrical impulses of the heart. This very irregular heart rhythm is called ventricular fibrillation and it causes the heart to stop suddenly.

Many people think of a cardiac arrest as something that only occurs in older people with heart disease; however, it may occur in infants, children and adults because of trauma, choking, drowning, electrocution or respiratory failure. The American Heart Association has identified February as American Heart Month. The theme this year is "Be An American Heart Saver! Know the Warning Signs of a Heart Attack. Call 9-1-1. Give CPR."

The goal of this campaign is to raise community awareness of "heart attack" and cardiac arrest so that more Americans will be poised to act effectively in the race against time to save the victim's life. The victim may be your wife, your husband, your child, a neighbor, parent or even a complete stranger.

As soon as the event occurs the race against time begins, and unfortunately each day for more than 700 Americans the race is lost they die before reaching the hospital. If you know how to take quick appropriate action when faced with this emergency, you may be responsible for saving the life of someone you dearly love.

More than 50 percent of the United States is covered by the 9-1-1 emergency medical services system that links homes, like yours, to a network of trained emergency personnel dispatchers, emergency medical technicians, nurses, doctors and fire, police and ambulance personnel. First, call 9-1-1 when you recognize the symptoms of a "heart attack" or cardiac arrest.

Immediately afterward begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) because it can effectively maintain vital blood flow to the heart and brain until the patient can get more advanced care.

CPR combines rescue breathing with chest compressions that keep the victim's blood oxygenated and circulating. CPR is effective only when performed correctly and that requires expert training. Certification classes are available through the American Heart Association, the Red Cross and local hospitals. When you finish your CPR training, you will have a skill that may prove to be invaluable sometime when you least expect it. Sign up soon to be an American heart saver! It may make the difference between life and death for someone near and dear to you.

World Wide Web Resources

American Heart Association

www.americanheart.org

The American Heart Association has a wealth of information about all aspects of heart disease, including emergency cardiac care and information on CPR classes.

American Red Cross

www.redcross.org

The American Red Cross also offers CPR classes and has course information on this Web site available in both English and Spanish.