Emedinews:Insights on Medicolegal Issues:Sudden Cardiac arrest

Some people confuse sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) with a heart attack. They are by no means the same. • Nineteen cases of SCA have been examined and certified by me in AIIMS in the year 2010 where a defibrillator was not used prior to fatality. • During a heart attack, caused by blockage of the arteries, the victim has severe chest pain but almost always remains conscious. Whereas, victims of SCA will always lose consciousness. SCA is the result of a "ventricular fibrillation" a quivering of the heart which prevents the heart muscle from pumping blood to the body. To overcome this condition, the victim will need various forms of help in order to survive. • The most important is the assistance of a defibrillator. • Each minute that passes without defibrillation decreases the victim’s survival chances by 10–20%. • When a defibrillator is used, it in effect kicks the heart muscle into action again, causing it to resume sending blood throughout the body. • A defibrillator is a machine used to shock the victim’s heart and restore the heart’s normal rhythmic patterns.