Wednesday, 3 August 2016
There are many medical emergencies which turn out to be fatal due to lack of awareness and presence of mind. Cardiac arrest is one such condition which can be sudden and life threatening if not taken care of properly within minutes by the people around the patient. Apart from calling an emergency number, the first thing that can be done to save the life of the patient is CPR procedure. It is one of those chain of actions that gives a little extra time of survival till you get to arrange the proper medical aid. Before getting deep into CPR, let’s first understand what cardiac arrest is.What is CARDIAC ARREST?
Cardiac arrest is an abnormal heart condition when it abruptly stops beating characterized by loss of consciousness and unresponsiveness of the patient. If not treated immediately, it can lead to death. Before opting for drugs, implants or medical procedures, it needs immediate Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation(CPR) or defibrillation to gain some time in hand to proceed for the second stage of treatment.
What is CPR?
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a manual emergency procedure done in a person with cardiac arrest to restore the blood circulation and breathing in the person to maintain the brain function intact. This process involves chest compressions up to 5 cm or 6 cm at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation(CPR) Can Save Life
Mostly people get cardiac arrest at home or sometimes in workplace. The possibility of on-the-spot medical help is rare and it takes time to call a doctor or visit a hospital. In such a case, a little awareness and prompt action by the people surrounding the patient can help save a life. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is the most recommended action suggested to earn some time before the patient gets actual medical care in a facility. People around the patient can compress his or her chest to allow some flow of oxygen inside the body to maintain the brain function. Simultaneous, the efforts to visit a hospital should be made.
What happens during a CPR?
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation(CPR) alone cannot restore a normal heart function, but it can definitely help heart and brain be alive by manually pushing the heart to beat and pump blood to the brain. It helps in partial flow of oxygenated blood that delays the tissue death in brain and enlarges the small window of survival and keeps hope alive for successful treatment afterwards.
Every single effort towards health benefit counts. A little effort by you or someone near you through cpr can give a gift of life to someone. Do your part and be a contributor in someone’s healthy life.