Ask the Experts - Teens and Heart Attacks

Teens don't often have heart attacks. When would a teenager need CPR?

Teens do get into resuscitation situations like any other age group. Young people drown, take overdoses, choke on food and are involved in car accidents. They also have serious asthma attacks, epileptic seizures, diabetic problems and some do have heart disease, more often problems they were born with, so called congenital heart disease. These can all lead to situations where teens would need to Recognize, React and possibly Resuscitate another teen.

-- Dean Dimonte , Paramedic, City of Ottawa