Sudden Cardiac Arrest is one of the biggest killers in the United States and around the world. Unfortunately, a large portion of society doesn't know what to do in the event that they witness a sudden cardiac arrest. While YOU may not know exactly why someone has just collapsed in front of you, there are a few steps you should probably take to help them.
Many people believe this is the same as a heart attack. This is untrue. Sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical disturbance in the heart that can effect anyone at anytime for no apparent reason. Primary symptoms include loss of consciousness and unresponsiveness.
According to the American Heart Association, there are over 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests per year. Even more scary, is that it can happy to anyone at any age. Although, it is much more common in older generations.
This emergency require immediate intervention from bystanders. Studies how shown that intervention within the first few minutes increases the chance of survival ten-fold.
So how can you help? If you see someone suddenly go down, typically gripping their chest, it may be safe to assume they are suffering a sudden cardiac arrest.
Ultimately, the goal here is to squeeze the heart and keep the blood moving in the body to deliver oxygen to the brain and internal organs. You don't necessarily have to deliver any breaths into the victim. There is usually enough residual Oxygen in the body to survive for several minutes even if they are not breathing. So get on the chest and start pushing! Push hard!
Beware: you may feel a pop or crack on the first couple compressions. This is NORMAL! Keep going.
You are not going to hurt them. They are already most likely going to die if you don't do anything at all.
When you complete the first step of calling 911, be as specific as possible about your location. The responding medics will need to know exactly where you are so they can get there in a timely and safe manner. Take a breath, look at your surroundings and give them any information you can. If you have an exact address that's great. If not, go by your best judgement or describe how you got there.
Keep in mind, this is the Hands-only method of CPR. There are many different strategies and tactics used. Some are better than others. However, as a basic rule and as an untrained medical responder, this is a safe and effective way to assist someone in dire need. Don't be AFRAID to help!
I recommend that anyone who reads this visits this link and takes a course to become certified through the American Heart Association.
I personally am an Emergency Medical Technician. I am not a medically licensed Doctor. This information is public information that can be found within the link provided.
Thanks for reading. I hope you learned something new here today and hope that if you find yourself in this situation you have the tools and mental capacity to make a difference.
Thank you,
-SteemBlake
