What's the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest?
It is important to understand the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest so you can take the correct necessary actions to increase somebody’s chances of a positive outcome.
Heart Attack
In simple terms, a Heart Attack is a blood problem within the heart wall. It is a circulation issue caused by a blocked artery. The person will most likely be conscious and breathing.
The heart is a muscle and, like all parts of the body, especially hard-working muscles, it requires its own blood and oxygen supply. If some of the blood vessels in the wall of the heart get blocked, part of the heart muscle may die, and the person may have a heart attack. A heart attack can, in some cases, lead to a cardiac arrest, so it is important to get medical help to the person as soon as possible.
Common symptoms of a heart attack:
- Pain or tightness in the chest.
- Pain down one arm, in the neck or jaw, or in the back.
- Stomach pain, like indigestion.
- A sense of impending doom.
- Profuse sweating.
- Difficulty breathing.
- A change in colour.
ACTION: Call 999.
(Image credit- Heart Foundation.org)
Cardiac Arrest
A Cardiac Arrest is a problem with the electrical pulse that makes the heart beat. The person will be unconscious and not breathing, or not breathing normally, noticeably a ‘gasping’ reflex caused by the brain not receiving enough oxygen. This is known as ‘agonal’ breathing.
The beating of the heart is initiated by an electrical pulse. If something goes wrong with the part of the heart that sends this pulse, so that either the part of the heart that send this pulse is not strong enough (it is in fibrillation) or is not present at all, then the heart will stop being able to send blood around the body.
This is Cardiac Arrest.
Someone having a cardiac arrest will become unconscious very quickly. Not everyone who is unconscious has had a cardiac arrest (other things can cause unconsciousness, including seizures, for example). Therefore, it is important to check an unconscious person for normal breathing. If they are not breathing normally, they are having a cardiac arrest.
ACTION: Call 999 and start CPR.
(Image credit- Heart Foundation.org)
More helpful information:
How to perform CPR
One in four of the emergencies to which EAAA is tasked are cardiac arrests. CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is when somebody performs chest compressions on someone who is in cardiac arrest to help keep them alive.
Learn More
How to use a defibrillator
An AED, short for Automated External Defibrillator, is a life-saving piece of equipment that can be used on someone suffering from a cardiac arrest.
Learn More
Request CPR training
Learn the skills to save a life with a free one-hour CPR and AED training session with EAAA.
Learn More