If the person is unresponsive, not breathing normally, or you are unsure — call your local emergency number NOW, before anything else.
Heart Attack
A heart attack happens when blood flow to part of the heart is blocked. Fast action can save life and reduce heart damage, so treat severe chest discomfort or sudden collapse as an emergency.
Call emergency services immediately if…
- Chest pain, pressure, tightness, or heaviness lasting more than a few minutes or coming back
- Pain spreading to the arm, shoulder, back, neck, or jaw
- Shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, or sudden unusual weakness with chest discomfort
- The person collapses, becomes unresponsive, or is not breathing normally
- 1
Call emergency services
Call the local emergency number immediately or tell someone nearby to call now. Say you think the person may be having a heart attack and give the exact location. Put the phone on speaker if you can so you can keep helping.
- 2
Stop activity and rest
Have the person stop what they are doing and sit or lie in a comfortable position, usually half-sitting with the back supported. Keep them as still and calm as possible. Loosen tight clothing around the neck or chest.
- 3
Reassure and monitor
Stay with the person and speak calmly. Watch their breathing, skin color, and level of alertness. If they become worse, tell emergency services right away if you are still on the line.
- 4
Help with their own medicine if prescribed
If the person has been prescribed chest-pain medicine for a heart condition, help them take their own medicine exactly as previously instructed by their doctor. Do not offer medicine that was not prescribed for them. If you are unsure, ask emergency services for guidance.
- 5
Get ready for CPR
If the person becomes unresponsive and is not breathing normally, start CPR right away. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest and follow the emergency dispatcher’s instructions. Send someone to get an AED if one is available nearby.
- 6
Use an AED if available
Turn on the AED as soon as it arrives and follow the voice prompts. Attach the pads to the bare chest as shown on the pads. Keep going with CPR unless the AED tells you to stop.
- 7
Hand over to professionals
When emergency help arrives, tell them when symptoms started, what you saw, and whether CPR or an AED was used. Also mention any prescribed heart medicine the person took. Then follow the responders’ instructions.
Do NOT
- Do not wait to see if the pain goes away before calling for help
- Do not let the person walk around, drive themselves, or go alone
- Do not give food, drink, or alcohol
- Do not give someone else’s medicine or any medicine if you are unsure
- Do not leave the person alone
Afterwards
Even if the person starts to feel better, they still need urgent medical assessment. After handover, make a note of the time symptoms began and what first aid was given, in case responders or family ask.
Sources
- [1]Heart attack: Symptoms & first aid — Mayo Clinic
- [2]Adult First Aid/CPR/AED — American Red Cross
- [3]Cardiovascular diseases — World Health Organization
Printed from HealthPulse.cc — first-aid education only, not a substitute for training or professional emergency care. Always call your local emergency number first.
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