Chapters 1 & 2 Activities

Chapters 1 - 2

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Activity 1

Read the information below to learn more about symptoms leading to a heart attack. What you can do to prevent a heart attack? What first aid should you give to a person who is suffering a heart attack?

A heart attack is when the blood supply to the heart muscle is either blocked or severely reduced. This can be caused by a blood clot that becomes wedged in the coronary artery.

The American Heart Association says that these are the most common warning signals of a heart attack:

Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
Pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck or arms.
Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath.

Less common warning signs of heart attack are...

Atypical chest pain, stomach or abdominal pain.
Nausea or dizziness (without chest pain).
Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing (without chest pain).
Unexplained anxiety, weakness or fatigue.
Palpitations, cold sweat or paleness.

Aspirin may reduce the risk of a heart attack by reducing inflammation in the blood vessels. Currently, the American Heart Association estimates that 5,000 to 10,000 lives could be saved each year if people would take aspirin when they experience symptoms of a heart attack.

Aerobic exercises can condition your heart if you exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3-4 times a week. The best exercises for your heart are brisk walking, jogging, cycling and swimming.

Activity 2

Determine the location of the plane at the time of the heart attack and again at the place where the plane went down.

Things to remember:

Brian left from New York.
Brian's father was working in the oil fields of Canada, up on the tree line where the tundra started and the forest ended.
A Cessna holds 88 gallons of usuable fuel which will lasts approximately 6.8 hours.
Airspeed is measured in knots. This is similar to miles on the speedometer of your car. A Cessna cruises at about 142 knots (nautical miles per hour.)
A nautical mile is a measure of distance and is about 15% longer than a mile measured on land.
distance/time=rate

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