Some say cough CPR a life-saving technique that could help heart patients avert cardiac arrest. The theory behind it is that it exerts pressure in the chest, which helps sustain blood flow to the brain, keeping a person conscious until they receive treatment. Is it among the skills taught in CPR classes? How effective is it?
Many authorized training centers such as City Wide teach various CPR techniques to health and emergency medical professionals. First responders are supposed to undergo training and obtain a certificate to be able to respond effectively to emergency cases.
Cardiac arrest is a complicated condition that can happen suddenly without any warning. Caregivers and trained lay people nearby can only perform hands-only CPR. Trained CPR specialists cannot administer cough CPR. Instead, CPR specialists use an automated external defibrillator (AED) for resuscitation. The bottom line is coughing is never taught as a skill as it can only be self-administered.
When to administer cough CPR
The American Heart Association (AHA) does not recommend cough CPR as part of CPR training because it cannot help resuscitate unresponsive patients. While that’s the case, patients can save their own lives using a simple cough. This technique can only work if there are early symptoms of cardiac arrest or at a clinic during monitoring. To successfully administer this treatment on yourself, you need to be able to detect cardiac arrest early enough.
Signs and symptoms of emergency cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest occurs when electric pulses interfere with the heart rhythm. In this case, the patient experiences irregular heartbeats. The heart can beat too fast or too slowly. Common triggers include lack of exercise, high blood pressure, smoking, and other health complications.
Apart from irregular heartbeats, patients can also experience symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, wheezing dizziness, and light-headedness. Since these symptoms are generalized and shared among many health conditions, it can be hard for first-timers to detect a cardiac arrest in time.
Studies show that pre-existing conditions such as congenital heart disease, coronary heart disease, and valvular heart disease increase the chance of developing sudden cardiac arrest. If you have these conditions and start experiencing the symptoms mentioned, call 911 or emergency medical services immediately. At this point, you can also try the cough CPR before you lose consciousness.
Cough CPR in emergency cardiac arrest
If you suddenly start experiencing signs such as chest pain, palpitations, and shortness of breath, it will just be a matter of seconds before you lose consciousness. While coughing can work as chest compressions, you can only administer it on yourself as long as you are conscious. You cannot compress your chest after fainting, and neither can you cough your way out of an attack.
To save your life, ensure that you have someone nearby who has taken CPR classes and knows how to use AED. While cough CPR can prevent cardiac arrest, only CPR training can save the lives of heart patients in an emergency.
If you’d like to know how to better respond to cardiac arrest as a medic or paramedic, enroll in CPR classes at Citywide CPR and get your CPR certification.
