Of late, there has been a lot of concern raised in public and in private conversations often among peers and associates about the meaning of this condition and what it even represents. There are many such people who believe that cardiac arrest is a disease on its own, while others believe that is a condition that can be diagnosed with some ease, it ought to be treatable.
In one famous local poser, one anxious reader asked whether this cardiac arrest cannot be arrested by deploying the relevant antidote to it. The fact of the matter is that none of these postulations about the condition is the truth.
Cardiac arrest is often a sudden occurrence that results when the electrical circuitry of the heart malfunctions and causes the organ to stop beating. When this happens, the heart is no longer able to pump blood to the various organs and tissues such that death results within a few minutes if immediate intervention is not available.
In our society, given the alarming rate of illiteracy and profound lack of awareness of even the most mundane of health issues, this event is likely to progress rapidly to death. In our hospital settings, where the challenge of adequate staffing especially amongst nurses, is scandalous at best, this is a condition that often goes undetected and undiagnosed with the eventual diagnosis being made post-mortem on most occasions. It is important to understand that the heart is made up of an electrical part and a mechanical part, which is represented by the muscle component of this remarkable organ.
We have discussed the features of the heart before on this page and described how this organ starts to beat from about the sixth week of pregnancy until a person dies. For the most part, the heart beats at a regular pace, described per minute, for all these years with a few seconds to rest in-between heart contractions in this entire length of time.
During times of intense physical activity or fear or as a response to injury and illness, the rate increases with a commensurate reduction in the length of time the heart can spend at rest. The mechanical aspect is usually unable to function properly without the electrical component. This latter aspect is not imaginary; it is demarcated by proper joints and wiring similar to what you might find in any kind of electrical component designed by man. This intricate wiring is neatly blended into the structure of the heart itself such that when it encounters problems at any stage during our lifespan, there are consequences for the owner.
Disruptions to these electrical connections will cause irregular heartbeats, which in turn will lead to cardiac arrest. This situation of having an irregular heartbeat is known as cardiac arrhythmia. There are different types of cardiac arrhythmias and while several types may cause no symptoms at all, others can cause death. A cardiac arrest in any living thing will cause the heart to stop beating.
This is different from a heart attack which occurs when a blood vessel in the heart becomes blocked such that oxygen is not able to reach the relevant muscles. This damages the heart’s tissues but may not cause death. The phenomenon of a cardiac arrest follows a certain pattern which begins with a fainting attack or dizziness and loss of consciousness. Then the heart begins to race at a very fast rate and may have some associated chest pain. There is then an onset of nausea and this may be accompanied with or without vomiting. The breathing becomes short. This series of events occurs suddenly often without warning.
However, when a person has experienced one or more heart attacks in their lifetime, their risk of developing a cardiac arrest is much higher than for anyone who has not. As stated earlier, most incidents of cardiac arrest occur as a result of an arrhythmia. The most potent of these arrhythmias is called ventricular fibrillation, a severe type of arrhythmia. This situation causes the heart’s chambers to beat in an inefficient and chaotic manner such that it is not able to pump blood to the rest of the body.
While this is the case in many situations in our lives, there are some conditions that make cardiac arrest more likely in different people. Severe blood loss during an operation or serious injuries sustained in an accident of any kind often leads to this sad event.
The same outcome is true for lack of oxygen. The other cause is intense physical exercise in people who have some hidden heart problems that have not been previously diagnosed. Besides, ischaemic heart disease is another health condition that occurs due to the formation of plaques inside the arteries which restrict the lumen of the vessels and eventually cause the blood to stop flowing normally.
Furthermore, abnormal levels of either potassium or magnesium can lead to cardiac arrest and this results either when the values are too low or too high. Finally, the use of certain hard drugs as we often call them, stimulants in other words, such as amphetamines, can cause this malady.
So, the abuse of these and similar substances like cocaine and heroin often results in these sorts of situations. It is no wonder, then, that many high-profile deaths in the entertainment industry and amongst youngsters in several advanced nations can also be traced to these indulgences. In the final analysis, all deaths will probably occur due to cardiac arrest, and among the elderly, this is often the most common cause of death.
Usually, the death certificate will probably state that the deceased died of old age or natural causes. As a result of what we know above, it is substantially possible to prevent this sudden cause of grief. Adopting a healthy lifestyle, maintaining a moderate weight, regular exercises and not smoking are some of the ways to prevent this problem.
In the same way, people who already have a higher risk of suffering a cardiac arrest can mitigate such risks with the use of relevant medications to control the conditions. Therefore, people with high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol levels can be given medications to help them to effectively manage the conditions they have.
In countries where the available healthcare facilities are top-notch and the people are aware of this condition, defibrillators are available in many open spaces. These are called automated external defibrillators. These AEDs are built to administer a controlled electric shock to people who develop dangerous heart arrhythmias and have become unconscious as a result.
Usually, after emergency medical services or the line of the ambulance service has been dialled, their trained paramedical personnel can deliver the necessary lifesaving shocks to the chest area of these people. Where there are none, many people know the basics of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and may be available to help such people in the emergency situation arising from their affliction. Such efforts at CPR must continue until the arrival of the ambulance crews. In our dear country, both the equipment and the relevant personnel are often nowhere to be found. The end result for many of the victims is therefore predictable.
Usually, after an individual has received life-saving treatment for cardiac arrest, such a person will subsequently need follow-up care in the form of exercises, medications, lifestyle changes, diet and an operation, sometimes. All of these are in addition to regular follow-up in the hospital.
Questions and answers
Good day, Dr Sylvester, I am four months pregnant and have been coughing for about ten days now. Two days ago, I developed a fever and my knees became very weak, so I went to a hospital where I was told that the cough was dangerous to my pregnancy. I also did some tests and the doctor told me that I had malaria for which he gave me P-Alaxin and Paracetamol. The cough is not serious because it only happens occasionally and I cough out whitish phlegm. What do you say about this, sir; is this a danger to my pregnancy? Thank you.
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Thank you very much for this important question. Malaria is far more dangerous to your pregnancy than the cough you have and it is my belief that you probably misunderstood the doctor or did not quite understand the context in which you were told about the potential danger. In the final analysis, just get the proper treatment for malaria and see another doctor for their opinion if the cough persists after you have exhausted what you are currently making use of.
Good day, doctor, I have been suffering from some abdominal pains on and off for more than two months but when I use antacid, the discomfort will reduce for some days. Last week, I decided to go to the hospital we use in my husband’s office and complain, so I was tested and there they did an ultrasound of the abdomen. They told me that they saw some abnormal growth in the area of my gall bladder and I have been so worried since then because they said I should go for a CT scan with contrast. That money is much and we don’t have it now. I am 36 years old with two small children. I don’t feel any different in terms of my health before this time and I am a school teacher. What should I do?
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Well, there is no alternative to doing the relevant tests to determine whether you actually have something to worry about. However, the proper thing to do in a situation like this is to get a second opinion by getting a repeat ultrasound scan done at another facility, preferably at any of the established diagnostic centers around you. Depending on where you live, you can visit any of the teaching hospitals in your state or federal medical centres. The reports can then be compared before you go on to have the CT scan done.
Dear Doctor S.I., I use Duodart for BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia). Suddenly, this drug is no longer in the market in Nigeria. Please recommend an alternative because my urologist joined the Japa train.
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Thank you very much for that question. You will still need to see a urologist for an alternative prescription. It is very unlikely that a highly trained specialist like that would have been working alone. So, you will do well to visit the hospital where you were obtaining your treatment and get an alternative from your doctor’s colleagues or juniors.
Dear doctor, please what can I do about my nine-year-old daughter whom doctors have told us is suffering from Blount’s disease? I went to the orthopaedic hospital in Enugu and the estimate I am getting is between N4m and N6m. I cannot afford that kind of money but I am also worried about my daughter’s looks. She is shorter than her age mates and walks abnormally because of the severe bow legs. What caused this kind of problem? Nobody else in our family has something like this.
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That is a big sum of money but did you actually go to the orthopaedic hospital or you went to see a doctor who works there, perhaps in his private facility? An amount of money like this is quite unusual in a public hospital and it will be better to seek the opinion of orthopaedic surgeons at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital at Nnewi and University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, which is also in Enugu before you commit yourself to this kind of expensive gambit. There are orthopaedic surgeons in all those places and the Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki also. This is no longer an emergency, so you may as well take your time to choose the place and time that your budget will accommodate. The cause of this disease is not known; the outer portion of the tibia just grows faster than the inner aspect thereby causing the bone to bend.
Good day sir, I have been seeing some funny pictures lately on Twitter about somebody who could not see an object clearly. The reason given in the picture was that the person must have been taking too much garri. One of my friends, my classmate then, told me that the way to prevent that kind of bad eyesight is to add a lot of milk to the garri if you want to soak it. Is that true, sir?
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There is no value in this kind of advice. If you add a lot of milk to the garri you soak, will you also add milk to eba or fufu which comes from the same source? Anyway, this is a tale that has been around for decades and it is not the way poor eyesight develops. You are free to consume your garri in the ways that you have always done.
Dear doctor, God will bless you for what you are doing for the common people. My grandmother is 75 years old and has high blood pressure for which she has been taking Abdolopine 10mg every day. She does not do anything now except house chores. My complaint is that she feels numb in her right arm. She says it feels like it is lifeless there. Last week, she went to the hospital to see a doctor and the doctor prescribed Biopentin for her which she has started using. There is no change in her situation yet. Is this a sign of stroke? If so, what else can we do about it? Thanks.
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Thank you, sir, for your prayers and kind words. This is not likely to be the sign of a stroke because according to you it has been going on for some time. It is my belief that her hypertension is well controlled and the medication she is most likely taking is Amlodipine, not Abdolopine, but she will need to use Biopentin for quite some time before changes will become evident. Encourage her to not default with the use of her recommended medicines and she will gradually improve.
Good day, doctor. I am 45 years old, a female with four children. I have had high blood pressure since I was 32 years old. I am on Amlodipine and Lisinopril at 10 mg each per day. Recently, my legs began to swell and I became worried, so I went to see my doctor who recommended Xarelto 15mg daily for me. I have used the medicine for nearly one month now and I have not seen any changes. There is no pain and I still walk around normally. What do you think is happening to me and what should I do? Thank you.
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That medication is for people who are at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis or emboli formation in their lungs. This prescription therefore takes your condition to a whole new level of seriousness. If you haven’t observed any changes at this point, the initial diagnosis may be doubtful and you should see a cardiologist for a proper examination.
