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Heart attack first aid - Treatment

Alternative Names

First aid - heart attack; First aid - cardiopulmonary arrest; First aid - cardiac arrest

First Aid:

Have the person sit down, rest, and try to keep calm.
Loosen any tight clothing.
Ask if the person takes any chest pain medication for a known heart condition.
Help the person take the medication (usually nitroglycerin, which is placed under the tongue).
If the pain does not go away promptly with rest or within 3 minutes of taking nitroglycerin, call for emergency medical help.
If the person is unconscious and unresponsive, call 911 (or your local emergency number), then begin CPR.
If an infant or child is unconscious and unresponsive, perform 1 minute of CPR, then call 911.

Do Not:

Do NOT leave the person alone except to call for help, if necessary.
Do NOT allow the person to deny the symptoms and convince you not to call for emergency help.
Do NOT wait to see if the symptoms go away.
Do NOT give the person anything by mouth unless a heart medication (such as nitroglycerin) has been prescribed.

Call immediately for emergency medical assistance if:

If an adult or child is unresponsive or is not breathing.
If sudden chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack occur.

Heart attack symptoms

Symptoms of heart attack

Reviewed last on: 7/8/2009
Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, Clinic. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Hollander JE. Acute coronary syndromes. Acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina. In: Tintinalli JE, Kelen GD, Stapczynski JS, Ma OJ, Cline DM, eds. Emergency Medcinie: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York, NY:McGraw-Hill;2004:chap 50.

Anderson JL, Adams CD, Antman EM, Bridges CR, Califf RM, Casey DE Jr., et al. ACC/AHA 2007 guidelines for the management of patients with unstable angina/non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Revise the 2002 Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Unstable Angina/Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) developed in collaboration with the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons endorsed by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2007;50:e1-e157.

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