Many fans around the world were caught unaware by Michael

Jackson’s death. It is widely known now to the world that the cause
of his death was due to cardiac arrest. Even though the “King of
pop” is dead, the question of whether our neighbourhoods are safe
in time requiring know-how of first aid procedures is begging.
I took a little bit of homework to find out the difference between
heart attack and cardiac arrest since they seem confusing.
Disclaimer: merely researched from independent sources
CARDIAC ARREST
Out of hospital arrest

Most out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur following a myocardial

infarction (heart attack), and present initially with a heart rhythm
of ventricular fibrillation. The patient is therefore likely to be
responsive to defibrillation, and this has become the focus of pre-
hospital interventions. Several organisations promote the idea of a
"chain of survival", of which defibrillation is a key step. The links
are:

• Early recognition - If possible, recognition of illness before

the patient develops a cardiac arrest will allow the rescuer to
prevent its occurrence. Early recognition that a cardiac arrest
has occurred is key to survival - for every minute a patient is
in cardiac arrest, their chances of survival drop by roughly
10% [11]
• Early CPR - This buys time by keeping vital organs perfused
with oxygen whilst waiting for equipment and trained
personnel to reverse the arrest. In particular, by keeping the
brain supplied with oxygenated blood, chances of neurological
damage are decreased.
• Early defibrillation - This is the only effective treatment for
ventricular fibrillation, and also has benefit in ventricular
tachycardia[11] and should be employed in such cases if the
patient has signs of hemodynamic compromise, or if the
patient has pulseless ventricular tachycardia. If defibrillation
is delayed, then the rhythm is likely to degenerate into
asystole, for which outcomes are markedly worse.
 • Early advanced care - Early Advanced Cardiac Life Support
is the final link in the chain of survival.

If one or more links in the chain are missing or delayed, then the
chances of survival drop significantly. In particular, bystander CPR
is an important indicator of survival: if it has not been carried out,
then resuscitation is associated with very poor results. Paramedics
in some jurisdictions are authorised to abandon resuscitation
altogether if the early stages of the chain have not been carried
out in a timely fashion prior to their arrival.

Because of this, considerable effort has been put into educating

the public on the need for CPR. In addition, there is increasing use
of public access defibrillation. This involves placing automated
external defibrillators in public places, and training key staff in
these areas how to use them. This allows defibrillation to take
place prior to the arrival of emergency services, and has been
shown to lead to increased chances of survival. In addition, it has
been shown that those who suffer arrests in remote locations have
worse outcomes following cardiac arrest [17]: these areas often have
first responder schemes, whereby members of the community
receive training in resuscitation and are given a defibrillator, and
called by the emergency medical services in the case of a collapse
in their local area.

HEART ATTACK (Myocardial infarction)

As myocardial infarction is a common medical emergency, the
signs are often part of first aid courses. The emergency action
principles also apply in the case of myocardial infarction.

When symptoms of myocardial infarction occur, people wait an

average of three hours, instead of doing what is recommended:
calling for help immediately.[97][98] Acting immediately by calling
the emergency services can prevent sustained damage to the
heart ("time is muscle").[88]

Certain positions allow the patient to rest in a position which

minimizes breathing difficulties. A half-sitting position with knees
bent is often recommended. Access to more oxygen can be given
by opening the window and widening the collar for easier
breathing.

Aspirin can be given quickly (if the patient is not allergic to aspirin);
but taking aspirin before calling the emergency medical services
may be associated with unwanted delay.[99] Aspirin has an
antiplatelet effect which inhibits formation of further thrombi
(blood clots) that clog arteries. Chewing is the preferred method of
administration, so that the Aspirin can be absorbed quickly.
Dissolved soluble preparations or sublingual administration can
also be used. U.S. guidelines recommend a dose of 162–
325 mg.[94] Australian guidelines recommend a dose of 150–
300 mg.[74]

Glyceryl trinitrate (nitroglycerin) sublingually (under the tongue)

can be given if available.

If an automated external defibrillator (AED) is available the rescuer

should immediately bring the AED to the patient's side and be
prepared to follow its instructions, especially should the victim lose
consciousness.

If possible the rescuer should obtain basic information from the

victim, in case the patient is unable to answer questions once
emergency medical technicians arrive. The victim's name and any
information regarding the nature of the victim's pain will be useful
to health care providers. The exact time that these symptoms
started may be critical for determining what interventions can be
safely attempted once the victim reaches the medical center. Other
useful pieces of information include what the patient was doing at
the onset of symptoms, and anything else that might give clues to
the pathology of the chest pain. It is also very important to relay
any actions that have been taken, such as the number or dose of
aspirin or nitroglycerin given, to the EMS personnel.

Other general first aid principles include monitoring pulse,

breathing, level of consciousness and, if possible, the blood
pressure of the patient. In case of cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) can be administered.