Heart attack:
- Call 999.
- Sit them down with head and shoulders supported, knees bent.
- Give 300mg of aspirin to chew. Do not give aspirin to the casualty if they are under 16 or if they are allergic to it.
- Monitor level of response.
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack happens when the supply of blood to part of the heart is suddenly blocked, usually by a blood clot. You can make a full recovery following a heart attack, but this may depend on how much of the heart is affected.
Signs and symptoms
Someone having a heart attack may:
- have crushing pain in the centre of their chest, that may spread to their jaw, and down one or both arms.
- be breathless or gasping for breath.
- be sweating profusely.
- experience pain similar to indigestion.
- collapse without warning.
- complain of dizziness.
- have pale skin and their lips may have a blue tinge .
- have a rapid, weak or irregular pulse.
- have a feeling of impending doom.
What to do
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Call 999 or 112 for emergency help straight away and tell them you think someone is having a heart attack.
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Help move the casualty into a comfortable position. The best position is on the floor, with their knees bent and their head and shoulders supported.
- You could place cushions behind them or under their knees.
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Give them one aspirin tablet (300mg) and ask them to chew it slowly.
- Do not give aspirin to the casualty if they are under 16 or if they are allergic to it.
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Ask the casualty to take their own angina medication, if they have some.
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Keep monitoring the casualty’s level of response until emergency help arrives.
- If they become unresponsive at any point, prepare to start CPR.
