How Is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Treated?
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) requires immediate
treatment with a defibrillator, a device that sends an electrical shock to the
heart. Defibrillation can restore a normal rhythm to a heart that is beating
irregularly. To be effective, defibrillation must be provided within minutes of
cardiac arrest. With every minute of delay in providing defibrillation, the
chances of surviving SCA drop rapidly.
Police, emergency medical technicians, and other
first responders are usually trained and equipped to use a defibrillator. The
sooner 911 is called after a person experiences SCA, the sooner
potentially lifesaving defibrillation can be provided.
Special defibrillators that untrained bystanders can
use in an emergency are becoming more available in some public places, like
airports, office buildings, and shopping centers. These devices are called
automated external defibrillators (AEDs). To prevent delivering a shock to
someone who may have fainted but is not having a SCA, AEDs are programmed to
deliver a shock only if the computer detects a dangerously abnormal heart
rhythm, such as ventricular fibrillation.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be given to a
person having SCA until defibrillation can be provided.
A person who survives SCA is usually admitted to the
hospital for observation and treatment. In the hospital, the heart is monitored
closely, medicines may be given to try to reduce the chance of another SCA, and
tests are performed to identify the cause of the SCA. If
coronary
artery disease is detected, the person may undergo a procedure called
angioplasty
to restore blood flow through blocked coronary arteries.
Often, a device called an implantable cardioverter
defibrillator (ICD) will be surgically placed under the skin. An ICD
continuously monitors the heart for dangerous rhythms. If SCA or another
dangerous rhythm is detected, the ICD immediately delivers an electric shock to
restore a normal rhythm. |