First Aid Advice - Heart Attacks
A Heart attack is most commonly caused by a sudden blockage of the blood supply to the heart muscle itself, for example a blood clot. The main risk is that the heart will stop beating so your aims are to make the patient as comfortable as possible and rest and arrange urgent removal to hospital.
Your aim is to make the casualty as comfortable as possible and arrange urgent removal to hospital.
Treatment
- Call for urgent medical help
- Sit the patient down in the ‘W’ position: Sitting up at about 75° to the ground with knees bent
- Give the patient a 300mg aspirin tablet to chew slowly (so long as the patient is over 16 years old and has no allergy to asprin)
- If the patient has any medication for angina, such as tablet or spray, assist them to take it
- Constantly monitor and record the vital signs, breathing and pulse rate etc, until help arrive
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