| Most heart attacks don't follow "Hollywood script" according to
the Heart and Stroke Foundation
Ottawa,
October 31, 2002 - Lying on a stretcher in a crowded
emergency room, a patient grasps his chest, gasps
for air and then loses consciousness. He is having
a heart attack! An ER doctor squeezes some lubricant
onto the defibrillator pads, rubs them together,
shouts "Clear!" administers the shock,
and the heart monitor miraculously comes back
to life. Another patient saved!
According
to Marc Gay, spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke
Foundation, the reality can be quite different
and few, if any, heart attacks follow this Hollywood
script. "Most Canadians don't know how to
recognize the real-life version of a heart attack,
and that's a recipe for death," says Gay,
an emergency technician and Chair of the Foundation's
Emergency Cardiac Care Subcommittee. Gay adds
that as many as 80 per cent of heart attacks occur
outside of hospital.
People
often panic when someone near them collapses,
and waste precious time wondering what to do.
"Every second counts when you're in a life
and death situation," he says. "It is
crucial that everyone learn to recognize the signals
of heart attack and signs of stroke, and that
they remember to Phone First - call for help before
you do anything else."
| Signals
of a heart attackMay come and go and include
one or more of: |
Signs
of a strokeMay be temporary, may occur suddenly,
and will include one or more of: |
| chest
pain or discomfort |
weakness,
numbness |
| pain
in arm, neck, jaw or back |
trouble
speaking |
| sweating |
vision
problems |
| nausea |
severe
headache |
| fear,
anxiety, denial |
dizziness,
loss of balance |
Only
after a call has been placed to 911 or local emergency
services should a trained person begin cardiopulmonary
resuscitation or CPR. Every year 1.6 million Canadians
take CPR training.
"CPR
alone revives fewer than five per cent of victims,"
says Mr. Gay. "But it's still a critical
step because it ensures an adequate supply of
oxygen and prevents brain damage until emergency
personnel arrive with a defibrillator."
During
CPR Awareness Month in November, the Heart and
Stroke Foundation urges all Canadians to learn
to recognize the signals of a heart attack and
signs of stroke, and to "Phone First".
Information on CPR courses across Canada can be
obtained by calling the Heart and Stroke Foundation
at 1-888-HSF-INFO. (1-888-473-4636)
For
more information contact Heather Rourke
(613) 569-4361, ext 318
or Bojan Fuerst, (506) 634-2054
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Visit
www.heartandstroke.ca
|
