Is heart attack always fatal?

Is heart attack always fatal?

Is heart attack always fatal? Obviously not. Only some unfortunate victims of heart attack die suddenly. Most of them do survive to reach the hospital and many of them lead normal lives after discharge from the hospital.

It all depends on how severe the attack is and how promptly you get medical attention. Many sudden cardiac arrests due to heart attacks can be revived if cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is initiated promptly.

An automatic external defibrillator can be helpful in this situation to shock the heart rhythm back to normal. All heart attacks need not cause a cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is abrupt cessation of the pumping activity of the heart, usually due to an abnormal heart rhythm.

Heart attack is damage to heart muscle due to sudden blockage of a blood vessel supplying oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. Blood clot forms over a fat deposit within the vessel to finally block it fully. A part of the heart muscle gets damaged permanently if the blood supply is not restored soon.

The clot can be dissolved by medications in the early hours after a heart attack. More effective removal of the block can be done by a procedure known as balloon angioplasty. A small tube with a balloon at the tip known as balloon catheter is introduced through the blood vessel in the wrist or groin, under local anaesthesia for this procedure.

A thin metal spring like structure known as a stent can be implanted after that to prevent vessel reclosure. The stent is mounted on the balloon catheter for introduction into the vessel and deployed by inflation of the balloon.

In either case, follow up life long medical treatment is needed to prevent recurrence of the block. Life style modifications like smoking cessation, healthy food habits, and regular tailored exercise programs are also essential. Cardiac rehabilitation programs are also useful in this scenario.