Introduction
There is a widely-known incident of India’s former President Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam collapsing due to cardiac arrest at IIM Shillong, and not receiving any immediate CPR. With prompt CPR, who knows, he might have been rescued. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is one such technique that can double, even triple, the chances of the cardiac arrest victim’s survival. During an emergency, it is always better to step up for intervention rather than stay put with inaction. Next time you witness such an unfortunate incident, be alert and save a life.
What is CPR?
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a technique to provide immediate and resurrectional support to a victim of cardiac arrest. CPR is indispensable during cardiac arrest. With the elevation in heart conditions, the CPR technique buys time until the medical emergency service arrives. CPR aids in restoring the blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain by pumping the heart artificially. It prevents brain damage. You do not need to be a medical professional for performing CPR, it can be performed by any bystander. Nonetheless, you must train for the correct techniques to minimize the injury caused due to the compressions themselves.
Cardiac arrest results in a sudden collapse. It may be due to sudden cardiac arrest, drowning, or a heart attack. The Indian Medical Association insists on performing CPR even if it may cause damage to the ribs. It is better than the person succumbing to cardiac arrest, they say.
Depending on the procedure, CPR can be of two types:
Traditional CPR: This CPR involves 30 compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths.
Compression-only CPR: This CPR involves about 100 compressions per minute with no rescue breaths.
When is CPR required?
CPR can revive life during medical emergencies like heart attack, drowning, electric shock, choking, or suffocation, which may lead to cardiac arrest. It is only meant to be performed if and when the person’s breathing halts and is left unconscious.
How does it work?
The impairment of electrical impulses in a person’s heart leads to irregular heartbeat, known as arrhythmia. Arrhythmia leads to Cardiac arrest and can come about abruptly. This further disrupts the blood circulation by halting the blood pumping. Now that the heart is unable to pump blood to different body areas, the affected person becomes unconscious and stops breathing. If the victim is not intervened with the basic life support they lose their life. CPR helps the victim by providing artificial breathing and maintaining the blood and oxygen flow until the medical service reaches.
What should be the immediate response if someone collapses before you?
The first response must be to check whether the surroundings are safe or not.
Look for help around if available. Call the emergency service, 100,102, or 108 for India.
The victim must be placed on their back, on a flat surface. Any obstruction in the airway is to be removed.
Check whether the person is breathing or not, is conscious or not.
If you are untrained — Perform about 100 compressions per minute, keep continuing until medical service arrives.
If you are trained — Perform about 30 compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths (30:2 ratio), and keep continuing
Repeat until the arrival of medical service.
Can anyone perform CPR?
Yes, anyone can perform CPR. You do not have to be a medical professional to provide basic life support like CPR. It is recommended to undergo a few hours of training for the correct method and techniques. These training last 2–3 hours, at most, and shall be available in your nearby medical institutions. If you read until here, do register for basic life support training and become a lifesaver!
