Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving procedure that is carried out if a person's breathing or heartbeat stops. Death can occur within minutes if a person's heart stops beating or breathing stops. CPR can help save lives and reduce the negative consequences that can occur while waiting for emergency responders.
CPR includes the use of chest compressions and artificial ventilation to keep circulatory flow and oxygenation going during a cardiac arrest. Rapid chest compressions mimic the heart's beating to increase blood flow, which can help the victim until further assistance arrives. Although survival rates and neurologic outcomes for patients with cardiac arrest are poor, early appropriate CPR may lead to improved survival and neurologic outcomes.
Therefore, CPR is a technique used to keep victims alive and prevent cardiac emergencies until more advanced medical professionals arrive. The main goal of CPR is to keep oxygen flowing into and out of the lungs, as well as to keep oxygenated blood flowing throughout the body. This will postpone tissue death. Visit our emergency care hospital in Mangalore to know more.
The survival rate in the event of a Cardiac Emergency
Circulating blood containing oxygen is required to keep tissues alive and functioning in the body. The brain may sustain damage after approximately 4 minutes of no blood flow. After 7 minutes of no blood flow, the brain suffers irreversible damage. To be effective, CPR should begin within 6 minutes of a person experiencing a sudden cardiac arrest. Low body temperatures (hypothermia), as seen in near-drownings and cold exposure, extend the time the brain can survive.
Sudden cardiac arrest rates range between 50 and 100 per 100,000 people.
The overall survival rate of sudden cardiac arrest is only 2-3%. The survival rate is 6% if CPR is initiated immediately, but only 2% if no bystander initiates CPR and it is initiated only when the ambulance arrives.
Any cardiac emergency should be identified as follows:
Early detection of any cardiac emergency is critical for initiating early treatment. On an immediate basis, after seeing a person collapse or encountering an unresponsive person, the following steps must be taken:
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Quickly evaluate the location to ensure that approaching the person is safe.
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Confirm the person's unresponsiveness by tapping them on the shoulder and shouting something like "are you OK?"
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If there is no response, call for assistance and begin chest compressions.
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If a pulse cannot be felt within 10 seconds, begin chest compressions immediately.
First-aid Treatment
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If the person does not respond to stimulation and is not breathing or is breathing abnormally (for example, gasping), emergency resuscitation with CPR is initiated, and the local emergency medical service is contacted. Rescuers should begin CPR as soon as possible because the risk of performing chest compressions on someone who is not in cardiac arrest is much lower than the risk of not performing chest compressions when needed.
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One rescuer should begin CPR immediately while the second rescuer contacts emergency services and, if available, retrieve an automated external defibrillator (AED). CPR should not be interrupted while the AED is being retrieved, and the AED should be used as soon as it is available. Some emergency dispatchers give phone instructions to help direct care, such as how to perform compression-only CPR.
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The sooner a bystander recognizes that a cardiac arrest has occurred, the sooner someone can call emergency medical services and personnel will arrive to provide advanced care.
Awareness regarding CPR in case of a Cardiac Emergency
Only a small percentage of people who experience cardiac arrest survive until they reach a hospital. Even those who make it to the hospital alive frequently die as a result of the underlying heart problem before being discharged. Many of those who are able to leave the hospital will never regain normal mental function. Early CPR is the most important factor in determining whether a person will survive cardiac arrest and return to normal life after hospital discharge. Consult with our emergency care specialist in Mangalore to know the significance of CPR in case of a Cardiac Emergency.
All rescuers, whether trained or not, should apply chest compressions to victims suffering from any cardiac emergency. Instead of opening the airway and providing rescue breathing, chest compressions are now the first line of defense. It is critical to use high-quality chest compressions. Hence, the following steps should be taken in case of any emergency:
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Pushing hard and fast on the center of the chest.
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With each down-stroke, compress the chest by at least 2 inches.
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Compress at a speed of 100-120 compressions per minute.
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Reduce the number and length of interruptions while performing chest compressions.
Consultant- Emergency Medicine
KMC Hospital, Mangalore
