1. Rest
Whether it is angina or myocardial infarction, patients should immediately stop all activities, sit down or rest in bed, and are prohibited from running, calling for help, or walking to the hospital. If outdoors, squat in place to rest. Because rest can reduce the load on the heart, thereby reducing myocardial oxygen consumption and delaying myocardial cell necrosis due to hypoxia. At the same time, the mind should be relaxed and not overly nervous. If it occurs in the wild during winter, attention should be paid to keeping warm.
2. Smooth breathing
Smooth and effective breathing is particularly important for patients with acute attacks of coronary heart disease. Windows should be opened immediately for ventilation to maintain fresh indoor air. At the same time, loosen the patient’s collar and promptly remove any vomit in their mouth to prevent aspiration and airway obstruction. Family members should also constantly comfort patients to avoid excessive tension causing airway spasms and suffocation. If conditions permit, oxygen can be administered immediately through the nose.
3. Nitroglycerin
People with a history of coronary heart disease should always prepare emergency medication. Once angina attacks, you can immediately take 1 tablet of nitroglycerin sublingually, which will take effect within 1-2 minutes and last for about half an hour. Or take 1-2 tablets of Xiaoxintong, which usually take 5 minutes to take effect and last for 2 hours.
The onset of angina pectoris is usually relieved a few minutes after rest and taking nitroglycerin; If not, the possibility of myocardial infarction should be considered. At this time, the dosage of nitroglycerin tablets can be increased to once every 3-5 minutes, or oral administration of Guanxin Suhe Pills. Some spray preparations targeting acute attacks of coronary heart disease, such as isosorbide nitrate aerosols, can also take effect in a short period of time. If the patient is restless, they can take one tablet of Diazepam orally, or they can pinch or needle the Neiguan acupoint (located 2 inches above the wrist crease, equivalent to their own 3 horizontal fingers, taking an acupoint between the two tendons) and other acupoints. Of course, while carrying out the above treatment, one should quickly call for help from the emergency center.
4. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
The most dangerous type of coronary heart disease and the most common cause of death is sudden cardiac arrest, often referred to as sudden death from coronary heart disease.
For a sudden death, the crucial time for first aid is 4 minutes after the cessation of heartbeat and breathing. At this point, the energy in the brain has not yet been depleted. Providing timely on-site first aid may bring the sudden death back to life; If it exceeds 4 minutes, brain cells can die due to severe ischemia and hypoxia, and patients have almost no chance of survival. Even if they survive, they are mostly vegetative.
So how to rescue the sudden death on site?
When calling for help from the emergency center, the patient should be immediately supine on a wooden board. Then, follow the following steps for rescue:
1. Open airway
Due to the sudden death of the patient’s tongue falling backwards, the airway entrance is blocked to varying degrees. Therefore, the first step is to provide the patient with unobstructed airway. At present, the internationally recognized method of lifting the chin is to place the rescuer on one side of the patient, place one hand on the patient’s forehead, press down forcefully, and place the other hand’s index and middle fingers on the patient’s chin (chin), and lift up forcefully to fully open the patient’s airway.
2. Artificial respiration
At this point, the lung of the sudden death victim has collapsed, so the first breath needs to be forcefully blown twice, and the chest and abdomen can be observed to have undulations. Then blow 12-16 times per minute. When blowing air, the patient’s nostrils should be pinched tightly and sealed mouth to mouth. Due to the fact that 18% of the air blown out by the first responder is oxygen (21% oxygen in the atmosphere), as long as the blowing is correct, the patient can receive sufficient oxygen.
3. Extrathoracic cardiac compression
Using artificial methods to make the heart beat, allowing the flowing blood to deliver oxygen from the lungs to the brain and other important organs. First responders can place one palm root at the lower one-third of the patient’s sternum, with the other palm root overlapping the back of the previous hand. Then, straighten both arms and press down with the force of the waist, with a depth of 3.5-4.5 centimeters. The frequency is 80-100 times per minute.
If it is a two person operation, the ratio is 5:1, which means alternating 5 chest compressions and 1 artificial respiration.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation cannot be stopped arbitrarily. It is important to persist until the ambulance arrives and promptly pass on the emergency baton to the accompanying doctor, which can greatly improve the survival rate of sudden deaths.