Heart attack vs cardiac arrest

We occasionally hear that somebody died due to the heart attack or a cardiac arrest. These two terms are used interchangeably, even by medical professionals and we assume that both are similar conditions. On the other hand, these conditions are distinct in terms of risk factors, treatment options, and outcomes.

Differences between Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest

The heart is a muscle, and like all muscles, it requires an oxygen-rich blood supply. This is provided to the heart by coronary arteries. A heart attack occurs when there is a blockage of the coronary arteries, most often caused by a blood clot. Such a blockage, if not quickly resolved, can cause parts of heart muscle to be permanently damaged.

A cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack. In a cardiac arrest, the heart actually stops beating; whereas in a heart attack the heart normally continues to beat even though the blood supply to a part the heart is disrupted.

Symptoms

During a cardiac arrest the heart stops beating. Patient stops breathing and his/her pulse is not found. Whereas, symptoms of heart attack include chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, palpitation etc. However, one must note that just before a cardiac arrest, patient may experience chest pain and other symptoms of heart attack, since heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest in some instances.

Risk Factors

Smokers, diabetics, obese, people with high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle or family history of heart disease are highly vulnerable to the heart attack.

People who have had a heart attack or those who have low heart pumping capacity are highly vulnerable to the cardiac arrest. Respiratory arrest, Choking, Drowning, Electrocution, Hypothermia, Drug abuse, Excessive alcohol consumption are other reasons behind cardiac arrest.

Treatment

The treatment for a cardiac arrest is to begin immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to support the victim's circulation, and, as soon as possible, to deliver a large electrical shock to the heart with a device called a "defibrillator." The large shock allows the heart's electrical signal to reorganize itself, and the heart starts beating again.

The treatment of heart attack is done to restore blood flow through the blood vessels supplying to the heart. The two main treatments are clot-busting medicines and percutaneous coronary intervention, also known as coronary angioplasty, a procedure used to open blocked coronary arteries.