Health@Heart
The New CPR
The crucial period is the first 3 to 4 minutes after cardiac arrest or pulmonary arrest. That is all the time the victim has to be revived successfully
PROGRESS in medical science brings the world new or improved diagnostic and/or therapeutic options that lead to better healthcare for the patent. There are two interesting developments in the area of CPR.
CPR stands for Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, the strategy and technique of reviving a person who stopped breathing or whose heart stopped beating.
Why is CPR vital?
Learning how to perform CPR is vital because one who knows how to do it effectively could save the life of a loved one or someone else. This knowledge could spell the difference between life and death for the victim. Indeed, knowing how to perform CPR properly is very important.
When should be CPR be done?
When confronted with a person who has collapsed, one should determine within 5 to 10 seconds (not minutes!) if the patient is breathing or not, if the pulse at the wrist by the base of the thumb is present or not (it is good to learn how to check the pulse beat before emergencies occur). Putting your ear right on top of the upper mid chest (between the left nipple and the breast bone where the heart is) is another way of checking if the heart is beating or not. This is a most crucial period, and time must not be wasted here. This determination of breathing and heart beat must not be more than 10 seconds. If in any doubt at all, it is safer to presume respiratory and cardiac arrest has taken place and CPR started without delay. At the same time, paramedics must be called immediately.
What is the crucial period?
The crucial period is the first 3 to 4 minutes after cardiac arrest or pulmonary (breathing) arrest. That is all the time the victim has to be revived successfully. Beyond that time, the chances of success becomes less and less as minutes go by, and the brain sustains irreversible damage from hypoxia (inadequate oxygen). So, it is obvious that an efficient and super prompt CPR is needed to be successful in saving lives of arrest victims.
What’s new in CPR?
With the old technique of performing CPR, one person was performing chest compression and another sequentially doing mouth to mouth breathing for the victim, or one person doing both at proper intervals. The new method is specially designed for non-medical people, or for untrained individuals. The “revised” technique, as popularized by the Mayo Clinic, entails continuous chest compression of about 2 inches “deep,” at about 100 times a minute, without the mouth to mouth component. The chest movement from the compression allows air-exchange in the lungs, enough to provide the brain and the coronary arteries sufficient (though not optimal) oxygen to sustain them under the situation. This has been found to be as effective and successful as the old method, and a lot simpler to do, especially for the untrained person. Even children can be taught how to do it.
The CPR-trained personnel may do alternate 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths (mouth to mouth, or with a resuscitation bag), achieving 100 compressions a minute. Either method may be used by those trained in CPR.
How long should CPR be done?
CPR should be continued until the paramedic or medical help arrives, or, at least, for an hour, if no expert help is not available or expected to come.
Can CPR be done to oneself?
Yes, but not in the same manner described above. When one feels his/her heart rate is slowing down (which can cause dizziness and fainting), or the heart beat is irregular causing some chest discomfort, one can do preventive “Self-CPR” by taking a big deep breath, holding the breath (not exhaling) and straining (like trying to move your bowels), and coughing forcefully hard for about 15 seconds or so. This should be repeated as long as the symptom persists, until you reach the emergency room. This technique is called Valsalva Maneuver, where the expanding lungs on both sides squeeze and “jolt” the heart. This technique could also be done if the heart is beating too fast. Discuss this idea with your physician when you seek consultation for any medical problem.
Learn how to perform CPR. The life you save may be that of a loved one. Or even your own.
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