Sudden Cardiac Death: What to Know?

The People’s Pharmacy, “Show 1365: Revealing the Secrets of Sudden Cardiac Death” featured guest, Dr. Zian Tseng. Dr. Tseng discusses the differences between two heart conditions, heart attack and cardiac arrest.

Heart attack is caused by what Tseng describes as “plumbing issues” whereby the arteries of the heart may get clogged from blood clots or other structurally intrusive obstacles affecting the flow of blood through the heart. Heart attack victims may have preceding heart issues, and can often be helped through surgical or clot busting interventions at the hospital.

Cardiac arrest is described as a sudden “electrical problem,” whereby the heart stops beating. In this occurrence, many people die before access to medical intervention, killing more than 350,000 people annually. Triggers of cardiac arrest vary widely, including neurological involvement. Cardiac arrest can affect all ages, even athletic youth.  People fortunate enough to survive cardiac arrest, may be candidates for an implantable defibrillator that helps prevent future events.

Possible warning signs include: fainting, palpitations, racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, unexplained swelling in the legs; or family history of sudden death, cardiac arrest or heart disease. The challenge facing medicine is identifying individuals at risk for cardiac arrest prior to the first and often deadly event. Dr. Tseng recommends that every public space have a defibrillator available, and urges everyone to learn CPR so that they can help someone experiencing cardiac arrest.

---

For More Information: 

The People’s Pharmacy “Show 1365:Revealing the Secrets of Sudden Cardiac Death”

Read LDA Posts on Lyme Carditis