Former Australian batsman and well-known commentator Dean Jones passed away yesterday afternoon after cardiac arrest. Jones was in Mumbai as part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) broadcast set-up and was learned to be absolutely fine before he suffered a sudden collapse.
Sadly, we have a long history of movie stars, cricketers, politicians, musicians, and other famous people who died from cardiac arrest (scroll down to see the list).
Sudden Cardiac Arrest occurs without warning when the heart unexpectedly stops beating. It is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes abnormal, or irregular heart rhythms called arrhythmias.
A common arrhythmia in cardiac arrest is ventricular fibrillation in which the heart’s lower chambers suddenly start beating in an irregular manner and stops pumping blood. Death occurs within minutes as the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs, and other organs.
About 10% of the deaths in India are due to sudden cardiac arrest which is also the most common factor of death in the world.
World Heart Day Campaign With @DrVanitaArora
This #WorldHeartDay @HealthwireMedia brings Panel Discussion on Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness. pic.twitter.com/O06m2y3e8t
— Healthwire (@HealthwireMedia) September 24, 2020
Often term “heart attack” mistakenly used to describe cardiac arrest. But the truth is that while heart attack may cause cardiac arrest and sudden death, the terms don’t mean the same thing.
A heart attack occurs when a blocked artery prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching a section of the heart, while cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes abnormal or irregular heart rhythms.
Signs and Symptoms of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Symptoms of a cardiac arrest and heart attack could mirror each other, but the main symptoms of a cardiac arrest are chest pain, loss of consciousness, no pulse. In some cases, there are chances that the patient may experience shortness of breath, dizziness, racing heartbeat some a little before cardiac arrest.
List Of Public Figures Who Died Of Cardiac Arrest
- Former Australia cricketer Dean Jones passed away in Mumbai at the age of 59 due to a heart attack on Thursday afternoon. Jones was in India as part of the Star Sports commentary panel for the ongoing Indian Premier League.
- Celebrated poet and lyricist Rahat Indori died of cardiac arrest after he was tested positive for the novel coronavirus on August 11.
- Former President of India and rocket scientist Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam has died on Monday following a cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Shillong on July 27, 2015.
- Composer Wajid Khan of Sajid-Wajid fame passed away at the age of 47 due to a cardiac arrest on the 1st of June at 00:30 am in Surana Sethia hospital.
- Three-time National Award winner, veteran Bollywood choreographer, Saroj Khan, passed away due to cardiac arrest on July 3.
- Sheila Dixit, who was one of the longest-serving Chief Ministers (CM) of Delhi, passed away on July 20, 2019, at 81 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
The best way to prevent sudden cardiac arrest
When sudden cardiac arrest occurs, seconds and minutes can make a difference between life and death. Call the emergency ambulance and come back to the patient, check for signs of life, and if there are none, give CPR. By performing Hands-Only CPR you can double the victim’s chance of survival.
Cardiac arrest may be reversed if a defibrillator is used to shock the heart and restore the heart rhythm within a few minutes.
Medical crises happen every day. Knowing what to do in an emergency can mean the difference between saving someone’s life or watching them succumb to cardiac arrest.
