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

Heart attack symptoms

Symptoms of heart attack

Reviewed last on: 2/19/2008
John E. Duldner, Jr., MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Director of Research, Department of Emergency Medicine, Akron General Medical Center and Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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