Loved ones are often concerned about methods of handling another heart attack. Emergency treatment can save a life. All family members should know how to use it.

Signs and symptoms to look for

• A persistent crushing pain in the centre of the chest.
• A pain that spreads to the arms, throat, jaw, back or abdomen.
• A pain that does not go away with rest.
• The person may be very pale, weak, sweaty, short of breath, or feel sick.
• Persistent symptoms of indigestion could be a sign of a heart attack.

Not every chest pain is necessarily a need for concern. Harmless chest pains often have the following qualities:

• Not well localised.
• Lasts for hours to days.
• Improves or intensifies, depending on the pressure over the area where the pain is situated.
• Improves or intensifies with breathing or changing of position.
• Can be a shooting pain.

If you suspect a person is having a heart attack, emergency measures should be taken.

What to do if the person is conscious

• Help the person to sit back in an upright supported position on the floor.
• Get someone to phone a doctor or ambulance service.
• Reassure the person that help is on the way.
• Stay calm.

What to do if the person is unconscious

• Open the person’s airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin.
• Look, listen and feel for signs of breathing.
• Feel with your fingers for a pulse in the neck.

If the person is not breathing and you don’t feel a pulse:

• Close the person’s nostrils with your finger and thumb.
• Take a deep breath and place your mouth over the person’s mouth.
• Blow into the person’s mouth until the chest expands, making sure there is no leak around the mouth.
• Repeat once.
• Find the notch at the bottom of the person’s breastbone.
• Measure two finger-widths above this.
• Place both hands on the breastbone.
• Press down firmly, steadily and smoothly 15 times, at a rate of around 80 times per minute.
• Keep repeating these steps until professional help arrives.

- (The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA, May 2010)