The fragile heart
It was brought home to me at the weekend just how important it is for people to attempt CPR.
Most people seem to be afraid of doing chest compressions, they're scared they'll do it wrong or cause more damage than good, or they're squeamish about touching someone, or they're not sure if it's a heart attack and hold back for that reason. If you see a person having a heart attack and do nothing it is highly likely that person will die. If you're that freaked out that you don't know what to do, then do a course. St John run courses most weekends and they're not expensive, you even get your own dummy to take home with you to practise on. I'll make it even easier for you, here's their web address: www.stjohn.org.nz
If a person collapses in front of you, clutching at their chest in a great deal of pain, it is highly likely they are having a heart attack. People will sit passively by their loved one waiting for the ambulance to turn up, begging them to wake up, yet they don't start CPR. This baffles me. If it were my father, my mother, my brother then I would try everything in my power to revive them. Any attempt you make is not in vain so just get over yourselves, get on your knees and start chest compressions. Whilst you're doing the chest compressions yell for someone to call an ambulance and keep going until help arrives. You will ache, you will sweat, you will be out of breath. Swap with someone if you can, but keep going.
We were taught in our pre-hospital emergency care classes that approximately 4% of heart attack victims survive. A large proportion of these heart attack victims who survive are the ones where the attack is witnessed and someone starts chest compressions immediately. Scary statistic that one.
Comments