The unusual reason healthy mother-of-two, 45, went into cardiac arrest and almost died while she was house hunting – and it could happen to anyone
- Liza Stearn felt unusual pain down her left arm before going into cardiac arrest
- Paramedics performed CPR on 45-year-old for 18 minutes as she regained pulse
- Mrs Stearn was diagnosed with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD)
- Women in there 40s and 50s are more likely to be affected even if you’re healthy
A healthy mother-of-two almost died when she suddenly went into massive cardiac arrest while house hunting.
Liza Stearn leads a healthy and active lifestyle but one day when she felt an unusual pain down her left arm.
Luckily Mrs Stearn’s quick-thinking husband knew it wasn’t a good sign and called paramedics.
The 45-year-old from Rose Bay in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, insisted she would be fine just going to the doctors but went into cardiac arrest within three minutes of paramedics arriving.
The 45-year-old insisted she would be fine just going to the doctors but went into cardiac arrest within three minutes of paramedics arriving
‘When the ambulance arrived I flatlined, they worked on me for half an hour with CPR and gave me seven shots of the defibrillator and on the seventh shot they finally got a pulse back,’ Mrs Stearn told Daily Telegraph.
Her husband Lawrence ‘thought she was gone’ as he looked on while paramedics worked hard to save his wife.
‘After 18 minutes of CPR I thought they were going to call it and she was not coming back,’ the 52-year-old told the publication.
Mrs Stearn was eventually diagnosed with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD).
SCAD is an uncommon emergency condition that occurs when a tear forms in one of the blood vessels in the heart, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Blood flow can either be slowed or blocked to the heart which could result in a heart attack, abnormalities in heart rhythm or sudden death.
Women in there 40s and 50s are more likely to be affected, but it can occur at any age, despite being healthy.
Mrs Stearn (right) spent six weeks in hospital and has since made a full recovery
Mrs Stearn spent six weeks in hospital and has since made a full recovery.
Dr Inken Martin from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute said heart disease ‘claims one in three Australians prematurely’ and says its important for everyone to get checked out.
‘We urge people to encourage their loved ones this Valentine’s Day to visit their doctor for a simple heart health check. By doing this today, you can save heartache tomorrow,’ Dr Martin told the publication.