Cardiac Arrest Symptoms
When a person goes into cardiac arrest, it is also known as clinical death. So when looking at the cardiac arrest symptoms, these are the warning signs of an impending death. However, when most people hear the term sudden cardiac arrest, most realize that this is something that can potentially be treated. Those who show signs of cardiac arrest are given CPR immediately.
The Symptoms of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
There are several symptoms that showcase sudden cardiac arrest that a person needs to be aware of and how to treat:
- The person losses consciousness. When a person has sudden cardiac arrest the blood flow to the brain is cut off, causing the person to lose consciousness or to pass out. However, this mimics a condition called syncope, which also causes this to happen. The biggest difference a person will find is those who suffer from syncope are going to wake up immediately, while those with cardiac arrest do not. If a person were to perform CPR on syncope victims, this is ok as studies have shown that it is not going to harm them.
- The person is not breathing. This is due to a drop in the blood flow, and the brain will not be relaying messages to breathe. There are cases in which the person may make gasping noises, as though they are trying to get air and can’t, and these are referred to as agonal respirations. These types of respirations do not count, and CPR should be started immediately.
- Having no pulse is an important sign! This is considered a major sign of cardiac arrest. However, it is getting more and more difficult to find a pulse on people, and this also goes for trained professionals trying to find a pulse. That is why this is often the last sign that people will use to determine if someone is going into cardiac arrest.
If you utilize this list, the most important thing to remember is that if you feel someone is going into cardiac arrest, then be sure to call for an ambulance and to start CPR. And if ever in doubt, call 911, do not wait to be sure that their symptoms are those of cardiac arrest.
Cardiac Arrest: Signs that showcase it is Not Cardiac Arrest
The biggest sign to keep in mind when dealing with someone that is going through cardiac arrest is if the person wakes up on their own. No one who is going through cardiac arrest is going to wake up on their own. If they do, their symptoms may have been similar to cardiac arrest, but the person was not in cardiac arrest.