Medical Emergencies, CPR and BLS
Welcome
The pages are presented as revision sessions, where you answer questions about the management of emergencies. A didactic explanation is also available on each page.
For a more detailed look at cardiac emergencies, check out our CPR, BLS & Cardiac Emergencies module.
Cardiac Confusion
Many phrases are used to describe cardiac emergencies, and "Heart Attack" is often confused with "Cardiac Arrest" - here's a brief explanation to clear any confusion.
Cardiac Arrest
This is the sudden cessation of the circulation of the blood, caused by the heart failing to contract effectively.
Note that the heart may be trying to beat, just not doing it effectively. Alternatively, it may be quite still.
There are many causes of Cardiac Arrest.
There are also many different types of cardiac arrest: the type is diagnosed by examining an ECG (Electrocardiogram)
Ventricular Fibrillation: (VF) Random fluttering of the heart muscles.
Ventricular Tachycardia: (VT) Heart beating so fast it doesn't do any pumping.
Pulseless Electrical Activity: (PEA, Electro-mechanical Dissociation) Fairly normal electrical activity, but no effective pumping.
Asystole: (Flatline) No electrical activity, no movement of the heart.
Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction, or MI)
This is different from a Cardiac Arrest, although a Cardiac Arrest could result from a severe MI.
An MI is when a part of the heart muscle dies because of a complete blockage in one of the coronary arteries that keep the muscle oxygenated.
Often, enough muscle is left alive for the heart to beat effectively. However, a "massive heart attack" could kill enough muscle to cause a cardiac arrest.
The muscle takes a few minutes to completely die and form the "infarction".
Angina Pectoris
This is pain in the heart muscle, caused by not quite getting enough oxygen. Normally due to a coronary artery being narrowed by a build-up of fatty deposits (atheromatous plaque), restricting the blood flow. The heart still beats effectively.