CARDIAC ARREST

APJ Abdul Kalam, Ex President of India, has died due to cardiac arrest just two days back while he was starting a lecture to university students in Gauhathi. Due to the high altitude the reduction in availability of oxygen in atmosphere has caused grave damage to him along with the already constricted artery going to brain by arresting flow of blood.

It is also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest. It causes stoppage of blood circulation due to the failure of heart to contract.

It is different from myocardial infarction where blood supply to certain parts of heart muscles is prevented causing damage to heart muscles. It is also different from congestive heart failure when the blood circulation gets reduced substantially but is enough to sustain life.

CPR being administered during a simulation of cardiac arrest.

Arrested blood circulation prevents supply of oxygen and glucose to the body parts. When blood supply to brain is stopped for more than 5 minutes the patient loses his consciousness. It follows with failure of breathing. Brain injury is likely to happen if immediate treatment is not given to the patient. Unexpected cardiac arrest can cause death in minutes. 

The treatment for sudden cardiac arrest is defibrillation if shock able rhythm is present. It is a common treatment for cardiac arrest. Defibrillator, an electrical device is used to give therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the heart. There is a natural pacemaker in the sinoatrial node in the heart muscles. 

Defibrillation depolarizes the natural pacemaker and makes it to reestablish rhythm of contraction and expansion. Other method of defibrillation is by automated external defibrillator. 

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is adopted to provide circulatory support to the heart and to induce a shock able rhythm.

Signs of cardiac arrest are fainting, fatigue, blackout, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain and vomiting.

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