Each year, 170,000 Filipinos die from cardiovascular diseases, up from 85,000 more than 20 years ago, according to a 2009 study by the Department of Health. Now, it is also the number one killer disease in the world, which is why recognition of heart attack signs as well as early and effective emergency care is important to help save lives.
Leading hospital in the Philippines, Makati Medical Center tells us the warning signs of a heart attack, its difference from a cardiac arrest, and the steps of first-aid and preliminary care in medical emergencies.
A heart attack is a “circulation” problem while cardiac arrest is an “electrical” problem. A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked. It can be fatal and may also result in the death of part of a heart muscle. If a large portion of the muscle dies, this is referred to as a massive heart attack. On the other hand, a cardiac arrest happens when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating unexpectedly due to irregular heart rhythms.
“Typical symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain, breathlessness, nausea, vomiting, pain along the left arm, around the stomach, or even the jaw,” says Raul L. Lapitan, MD, from MakatiMed Section of Cardiology and Immediate Past President of Philippine Heart Association.
He adds, “Symptoms may occur days before the massive attack. Some victims brush it off as something far more minor, like heartburn. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry. So, if you notice a combination of symptoms, immediately seek emergency medical help.”
If you witness someone having a heart attack, immediately rush the patient to the hospital or call for emergency help. If the individual is conscious while the attack is happening, Dr. Lapitan recommends giving an aspirin to help thin the blood and prevent clot increase. Also make sure that the patient’s head and back are properly supported and his or her clothing is loosened while waiting for the ambulance.
A patient who is unconscious, unresponsive, isn’t breathing, and has no pulse may likely have gone into cardiac arrest. Once you’ve called for help and made sure your surroundings are safe, you can perform “hands-only” Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) immediately while waiting for the ambulance.
“For laypersons, start doing hands-only CPR through 2.5 inches deep, 100 to 120 chest compressions per minute within the 2- to 4-minute period. Continue until the ambulance arrives,” advises Dr. Lapitan. “Health professionals and trained lay CPR providers can do mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing after checking the patient’s airway.”
Knowing how to perform this emergency measure is very important, as early and effective CPR increases the patient’s chance of survival by 25 percent. This has led the PHA to launch its flagship advocacy CPR-Ready PH 2021 with the goal of achieving a CPR-Ready country status, side by side with its Asian neighbors and Western allies that have been CPR-Ready for the longest time.
The nationwide PHA CPR on Wheels & Wings campaign alone has traversed 15 destinations and trained at least 80,000 laypersons on hands-only CPR on top of hundreds and thousands of Filipinos continuously trained by various PHA Chapters across the country for the past two years. This summer, CWW will fly to top tourist destinations like Bohol and Samar.
Makati Medical Center became the first hospital-training institution to have the PHA as its official Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support training provider in a Training the Trainers Course through the initiatives of Dr. Lapitan.
Prevention is always better than cure and leading a healthier lifestyle can help control the risk of heart diseases. The PHA promotes the 52100-healthy lifestyle code, a daily preventive measure habit of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables; 2 hours maximum screen time or exposure to gadgets as well as not more than 2 grams of salt content in food intake; 1-hour exercise; 0 sugary beverages; and 0 smoking.
For more information, contact MakatiMed On-Call at (02) 8888-999, email [email protected], or visit www.makatimed.net.ph.