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You Could Save A Life

Jul 24, 2016 | 9:00 AM

Heart Attacks an Strokes do not take summer holidays and often can occur in places where no immediate help may be.

The Canadian Heart and Stroke Association has information which can help you save a life.

Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency and can strike without warning, affecting people of all ages and all fitness levels. If you see someone collapse and is unresponsive, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number and do CPR immediately and, if available, use an AED until medical help arrives. If this treatment is done within the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest, it can save a life!

First aid is the first step in the process of assessing and addressing the medical needs of someone who has been injured or is in distress due to a heart attack, stroke, choking, or other medical emergencies. Being trained in first aid techniques allows you to determine the immediate course of treatment required until advanced medical help arrives.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is an emergency procedure that is used to restore blood flow to someone who is having cardiac arrest. Without proper blood flow, the brain and organs can be seriously damaged and the person can die within minutes if not treated immediately. CPR can help maintain blood flow and ventilation for a short period of time in a person experiencing cardiac arrest.

An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a device that is used to get a heart back to its natural rhythms by delivering an electrical shock to the heart during a cardiac arrest.

Typically you can find AEDs in malls, community centres, and other public places. The Heart and Stroke Foundation has placed a significant number of AEDs across the country and trained thousands of people how to use them.

Learn about our National AED program here.

Signs of heart attack

Thousands of Canadians die from heart attacks every year because they don’t receive medical treatment quickly enough. Learn to recognize the signs of a heart attack so you can react quickly to save a life. Warning signs can vary from person to person and they may not always be sudden or severe. Although chest pain or discomfort is the most common symptom of a heart attack in both men and women, some people will not experience chest pain at all, while others will experience only mild chest pain or discomfort. Others may experience one symptom, while some experience a combination.

 

  Chest discomfort (uncomfortable chest pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain, burning or heaviness)   Sweating
  Discomfort in other areas of the upper body (neck, jaw, shoulder, arms, back)   Nausea
  Shortness of breath   Light-headedness

If you are experiencing any of these signs, you should:

  • CALL 9-1-1 or your local emergency number immediately, or have someone call for you.
  • Keep a list of emergency numbers near the phone at all times.
  • Stop all activity and sit or lie down, in whatever position is most comfortable.
  • If you take nitroglycerin, take your normal dosage.
  • Chew and swallow one adult tablet (325 mg) or two 81 mg tablets of ASA (Aspirin®), as long as you are not allergic or intolerant. If you are having a heart attack, chewing and swallowing ASA at the first sign can reduce your risk of dying by helping to stop blood clots from forming in the arteries. Do not take other pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Advil®) instead of ASA. Do not substitute ASA for medical care; call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number first.
  • Rest and wait for emergency medical personnel to arrive.

f you or someone with you experiences any of these signs, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number immediately. Acting quickly can improve your survival and recovery.

Do not drive yourself or the person having a stroke to the hospital – an ambulance will get you to the best hospital for stroke care.

What to expect at the hospital
The paramedics will take you to the closest hospital with a specialized program for stroke care. They can call ahead so hospital staff are prepared for your arrival.

You should receive medical attention soon after you arrive. If you don’t, let the emergency department staff know.

Provide detailed medical history and information about past medical conditions if possible. Knowing the exact time that the stroke signs began is helpful. 

A brain scan should be done soon after you arrive, to find out the kind of stroke you experienced. If the stroke was caused by a blood clot, you may benefit from a drug called tPA. It can re-open blocked arteries which reduces the severity of the stroke, helping you recover more fully. tPA must be given as soon as possible and within four and a half hours from the start of symptoms.

What a stroke looks like
The first time Stacey Yepes had a stroke, she immediately went to the emergency department. Having no visible symptoms and being in good health, she was told it was stress. Within a few days, she had two more strokes. The third time, when she felt her left side going numb, she grabbed her phone and hit record, so that she could show doctors exactly what she was experiencing.

What you need to know about “mini-stroke” or TIA (transient ischemic attack)
Transient ischemic attack (TIA), or “mini-stroke” happens when a clot stops blood from flowing to the brain for a short time. TIA is a medical emergency. Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency immediately. If you are not admitted to a hospital, ask when you will be seen at a stroke clinic and how that is arranged.

Everyone needs to know the signs of stroke.

You never know when you, a parent, a spouse or a friend, might experience the signs and it will be up to you to act. Help your community learn the signs of stroke. Print this page, and post it to your refrigerator, or put it up at work.