When to call: 911, your care team, or common after cardiac arrest
Read the first column first. If anything in it is true, or you are not sure, call 911. This card is general information, the same for everyone. It cannot see you or tell what is wrong. If in doubt, call 911.
Call 911 now
Do not drive yourself. Calling 911 is almost always the fastest way to get treatment.
- Chest pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes backSource:American Heart Association
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomachSource:American Heart Association
- Shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfortSource:American Heart Association
- A cold sweat, nausea, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, feeling lightheaded or unusually tired, with other signsSource:American Heart Association
- You faint or nearly faint. The NIH lists fainting among the symptoms to call your provider about; after a cardiac arrest, call 911Source:NIH (NHLBI)
- Several strong shocks from your ICD in a short time (Mayo Clinic: three or more), or a shock and you do not feel well afterward. If your care team gave you a shock plan, follow itSource:NIH (NHLBI)Mayo Clinic
- Sudden face drooping, arm weakness, trouble speaking, loss of balance, vision changes, confusion or a sudden severe headacheSource:American Stroke Association
- Pain and swelling in a leg or arm, with shortness of breath or chest painSource:NHS (UK)
- It feels like it did before your cardiac arrest, or you are not sure. Even if you are not sure it is a heart attack, get checked outSource:American Heart Association
Call your care team today
Phone your cardiology team or the number you were given. If you cannot reach them, you feel worse, or you are not sure, call 911.
- Any shock from your ICD, even one, even if you feel fine afterward. Follow the shock plan your care team gave youSource:NIH (NHLBI)
- Dizziness, feeling out of breath, fever, or a pounding or skipping heartbeat that worries youSource:NIH (NHLBI)
- Throbbing pain, swelling, or red, blue or darkened skin in one leg or armSource:NHS (UK)
- A scar, or the skin where a tube or device went in, that is swollen, painful, warm or leaking pusSource:NHS (UK)NHS (UK)
- A sharp chest twinge that passes quickly but still worries you. If it comes back, call 911Source:NHS (UK)American Heart Association
- Fear, low mood, bad dreams or memory and thinking that are getting worse or getting in the way of daily lifeSource:American Heart AssociationMayo Clinic
- Tiredness that is getting worse or not improvingSource:NHS (UK)
Common, and why
Many survivors report these. They can still have another cause, so mention them at your next visit, and if one comes with anything in the first column, call 911.
- Feeling tired and weakSource:American Heart AssociationCleveland ClinicWhy: Your heart and body went through a major event and need time to recover.
- Foggy thinking, poor focus, forgetting thingsSource:American Heart AssociationWhy: Blood flow to the brain stopped during the cardiac arrest, which can change thinking.
- Trouble sleeping, or bad dreamsSource:American Heart AssociationCleveland ClinicWhy: Sleep problems are a reported effect of cardiac arrest and of time in intensive care.
- Fear it will happen again, anxiety, low mood, lonelinessSource:American Heart AssociationWhy: These are common after a cardiac arrest, and often mix with gratitude for being alive.
- A sore chest wallSource:Peer-reviewed reviewWhy: CPR can break ribs or the breastbone. These are common injuries of CPR.
- A scar that is visible and slow to fadeSource:NHS (UK)Why: Scars cannot be removed. Most fade over time, which can take up to 2 years or more.
- Changes in sexual desire or functionSource:American Heart AssociationWhy: Reported by survivors, and some medicines have side effects. Ask your care team.
If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, or call 911.
Where this comes from
- American Heart Association: Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH): Living With an ICD or WCD
- Mayo Clinic: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs)
- American Stroke Association: Stroke Symptoms and Warning Signs
- NHS (UK): DVT (deep vein thrombosis)
- NHS (UK): Scars
- NHS (UK): Cellulitis
- NHS (UK): Chest pain
- American Heart Association: Recovering From a Cardiac Arrest
- Mayo Clinic: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- NHS (UK): Tiredness and fatigue
- Cleveland Clinic: Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS)
- Peer-reviewed review, PubMed Central: CPR related injuries of the chest wall: direct and indirect fractures
General information, not medical advice. Talk to your care team.