Cardiac arrest is a serious and potentially fatal state where a problem occurs with a person’s heart, causing it to stop suddenly. If you do not receive immediate medical attention after suffering a cardiac arrest, your heart will not restart, and your arrest will prove fatal. If you do survive cardiac arrest, it is crucial that you receive proper ongoing treatment to keep the problem from recurring.
Typically, treatment to prevent a second cardiac arrest will include medications or a surgical procedure. The treatment you require will depend on what caused your cardiac arrest in the first place and how serious your condition is.
There are several different types of medications that can help cardiac arrest survivors from having a second episode.
If your cardiac arrest happened because you have high blood pressure resulting in an overworked heart, you will need beta blockers. Beta-blockers, such as metoprolol or atenolol, reduce your blood pressure and make it easier for your heart to pump blood. This reduces your chances of suffering cardiac arrest.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, better known as ACE inhibitors, are another medication option to reduce your blood pressure. ACE inhibitors, such as moexipril and captopril, reduce your blood pressure by relaxing the veins and arteries. This, in turn, makes it easier for your heart to pump blood and reduces the chances of a second cardiac arrest.
Your exact side effects will depend on what medication you are taking.
In more serious situations where medications are not enough, you will need a surgical procedure to prevent another cardiac arrest.
ICDs are used when cardiac arrest occurs because of an irregular heartbeat. An ICD gets implanted near your heart and works by sensing when your heartbeat is irregular. When this happens, it sends a small shock to the heart that corrects the beat and prevents cardiac arrest.
When cardiac arrest happens because of high blood pressure due to a blocked artery, you will need coronary artery bypass surgery. During a CABG, a surgeon constructs a new artery to carry blood from the heart to the brain to eliminate the blockage.
If your cardiac arrest occurred because of a blocked artery, but it is not blocked enough to warrant a CABG, you may need a coronary angioplasty. During a coronary angioplasty, your doctor will insert stents in any partially blocked arteries. They do this by inserting a small tube into the artery containing an inflatable balloon. They will then inflate the balloon to restore your artery to its normal size and insert the stent to keep it that way.
If you have a heart problem that cannot be remedied using medications or other procedures, you will need corrective heart surgery. Corrective heart surgery is highly invasive and is typically used to correct congenital defects in your heart or a heart valve. By fixing your heart, you should be able to avoid a second cardiac arrest.
Cardiac arrest is a major medical event that should not be taken lightly. Unless you receive immediate medical treatment, cardiac arrest can be fatal within eight minutes. Once you receive medical attention in the form of CPR or a defibrillator and your heart restarts, you will need additional treatment in the form of medications or surgery. If you do not, your heart problems will persist, resulting in additional bouts of cardiac arrest that could prove fatal.