What should every person be given immediately if a heart attack is suspected?
What should every person be given immediately if a heart attack is suspected?
What to do if you or someone else may be having a heart attack
- Call 911 or your local emergency number.
- Chew and swallow an aspirin while waiting for emergency help.
- Take nitroglycerin, if prescribed.
- Begin CPR if the person is unconscious.
Should you call 911 immediately if a patient has a heart attack?
A heart attack is a medical emergency. Call 911 or the local emergency number if you think you or someone else is having a heart attack.
Do you have to go to the hospital if you have a heart attack?
If you have these symptoms, go to the emergency room immediately: Discomfort that feels like pressure, fullness, or a squeezing pain in the center or left side of your chest. It lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
What to do if someone is having a heart attack and is conscious?
If the person is fully conscious, provide a full dose (300 mg) of an Aspirin tablet. Advise the person to chew it slowly so that it dissolves and is absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly when it reaches the stomach. Aspirin helps to break down blood clots, minimizing muscle damage during a heart attack.
How do heart attacks happen?
A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is blocked. The blockage is most often a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances, which form a plaque in the arteries that feed the heart (coronary arteries). Sometimes, a plaque can rupture and form a clot that blocks blood flow.
How much aspirin should I take for chest pain?
Recommended dosage. The recommended dose of aspirin during a heart attack is 160 to 325 milligrams (mg). If you already take daily low-dose aspirin, take two tablets (162 mg). For the fastest results, you should crush or chew the tablet before swallowing it.
When do you give CPR?
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is used in an emergency if someone is not breathing normally, or their heart has stopped (cardiac arrest). This combination of techniques is used: chest compressions. rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth).
How long can angina last?
Stable angina Usually lasts 5 minutes; rarely more than 15 minutes. Triggered by physical activity, emotional stress, heavy meals, extreme cold or hot weather. Relieved within 5 minutes by rest, nitroglycerin or both. Pain in the chest that may spread to the jaw, neck, arms, back or other areas.
How can I check my heart at home?
To measure your pulse on your own:
- Get a watch with a second hand.
- Place your index and middle finger of your hand on the inner wrist of the other arm, just below the base of the thumb.
- Count the number of taps you feel in 10 seconds.
- Multiply that number by 6 to find out your heart rate for 1 minute.