Cardiac Arrest vs Heart Attack

What is the difference between cardiac arrest and heart attack?

Cardiac arrests are an electrical malfunction of the heart. Causing your heart to beat irregularly. When this happening the heart stops pumping blood throughout the body. It can happen SUDDENLY and WITHOUT WARNING! This is an EMERGENCY. Notify 911 and start CPR RIGHT AWAY!

With a cardiac arrest the heart needs to be restarted! This is when it is so important to remember where the nearest AED is and bring it to the person. (check out our #ifounditneighbors challenge). Remember, the first and most important step is to simply turn it ON and follow the voice prompts. (You can watch how to use an AED here)

A heart attack can be referred to as having a plumbing issue. Blocked arteries prevent blood from reaching a section of the heart.

With a heart attack the vessel needs “unclogged”.

Cardiac Arrest and Heart attack are often thought of as the same thing. But as you can see they are two separate issues with the heart. Both are medical emergencies that require immediate attention. If someone collapses, performing CPR in these moments could make the difference in saving their life.

Do you know how to perform CPR?