At any time, unseen and unavoidable accidents can occur without warning. In these instances, knowing some basic first aid procedure can be a vital aspect in the chances of survival. A common and highly possible incident that will require immediate medical attention is sudden cardiac arrest. Recognizing this and knowing the correct reaction will make all the difference in the situation.
CPR training seminars are regularly held by health institutions for citizens to take part in. Words cannot describe how important knowing the proper application of the procedure is especially in the United States wherein sudden cardiac arrest is one of the main causes of death, claiming over 325,000 fatalities every year. The common knowledge about cardiac arrest is that it is a form of heart attack. This is in fact not true at all. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is defined as the unexpected changes in the rhythm of the heartbeat caused by interruptions in the electrical impulses which can then potentially result in the heart suddenly ceasing to function. Heart attack, on the other hand, is the result of a heart disease which over time slows the heart’s ability to accurately pump blood to the body. One other major difference between the two is the fact that sudden cardiac arrest victims who were not attended to promptly only have a 5% chance of survival rate while heart attack victims have the capacity to completely recover overtime with proper medical support.
While varying in effectiveness, proper CPR training has one undeniable benefit – it can increase the chances of the patient surviving the ordeal. By aiding the circulation of oxygen and blood, the first aider will be able to hinder the shutting down of bodily function which could ultimately lead to death. The procedure actually has varying levels of intricacy depending on the person’s training and the available first aid tools on hand. For untrained or out of practice personnel, experts recommend applying the hands-only compression method at a steady rate of 100 pumps per minute. For a properly trained and experienced person, applying the complete procedure that includes artificial respiration will increase the effectiveness of the method. The best scenario however is having a defibrillator ready and juiced. What’s good about the current models of AEDs, or Automated External Defibrillators, is the fact that they can guide even the most novice of first aiders on what steps to follow.
A key note that is highly advised by most professionals when applying CPR is to not bother checking for the pulse of the victim. The main reason for this is that, for an untrained civilian, finding the pulse of a completely unresponsive person will waste valuable seconds. Hence, immediate application of first aid procedures must be applied. Know that every second wasted by not applying the procedure will profoundly decrease the patients chances of surviving the ordeal. Of course, while the administration of CPR can increase the chances of survival, responders should still make sure that there is someone who could get in touch with the paramedics in order to report the situation.
In order for someone to not be caught unaware is to enroll in a CPR training and certification program. In most cases, these programs also touch on the proper use of AED devices.
