Premergency First Aid, CPR and AED Manual

5 Cardiovascular Emergencies, CPR and AED

If medical personnel can treat the patient quickly, then they may be able to clear the blocked artery and minimize damage to the heart.

When the chief complaint from a patient is chest pain, you should complete a thorough secondary assessment of the signs and symptoms with a complete history including known cardiovascular problems and any medications being prescribed. A small number of people, mostly the elderly, women, or those with diabetes, can experience no pain at all during a heart attack, but they should have other signs and symptoms associated with one. Some may only feel a mild discomfort and describe it as indigestion. It is not uncommon for fatigue to be the only complaint in older women. When assessing a patient with chest pain: • Ask if they have any medical conditions that could cause this pain • Ask if they have ever had this pain before • Ask if they have any prescribed medication

complete blockage of a coronary artery in the heart

Not all people having a heart attack will feel pain or recognize it when it happens. Some people may deny or minimize their symptoms. • It can occur at any time, with or without exertion. • It does not go away after a few minutes but instead lasts minutes to hours or even days. • It may or may not be relieved by rest or nitroglycerin. The pain of a heart attack differs from angina in three ways:

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