What to do in CPR and Cardiac Arrest?

Cardiac arrest is the malfunctioning of the heart in which the heart stops beating. It is mainly stated as “Electrical Problem”. On the other hand, a heart attack occurs when an artery is blocked, which supplies blood to the heart, and it is stated as a “circulatory problem”. While Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is the lifesaving procedure to recover from Cardiac Arrest. With this procedure lifesaving rate is double or triple.

CPR mainly includes 2 components: chest compressions and artificial ventilation. Chest compressions are performed to manually pump the blood towards the heart and other vital organs. Artificial ventilation provides oxygen to the lungs. Chest compressions are the cornerstone of CPR.

Signs and symptoms include:

Collapse suddenly and loss of consciousness.
Are not breathing
Are not responding to shouting or tapping.
Don’t have a pulse.

Causes:

It includes atherosclerosis, heart valve disease, cardiac myopathy, arrhythmia, and commotio cordis (agitation of the heart), which forceful blow to the chest that induces pressure and causes cardiac arrest.

Treatment:

Before starting CPR, do the needful by checking:

Scene safety: Is the environment safe for a person?

Patient consciousness level by tapping or shaking their shoulder, ask loudly: ARE YOU OKAY?

Check the Pulse by placing your index and middle finger at the windpipe and dragging towards the left, you’ll find the carotid artery and pulse.

Check for breath by placing your ear against the person’s nose.

Also, check for any objects in the mouth to avoid obstruction/choking while doing CPR.

Key point: if you find someone having cardiac arrest, call 9-1-1 immediately, ask for an Automated external defibrillator (AED), and start CPR right away.

The American Heart Association recommends starting CPR by pushing hard and fast with both hands placed adjacent to one another at the sternum, with knees locked. These pushes are called compressions.

Check for C-A-B:

The American Heart Association uses the letter C-A-B to remember the protocol of CPR.

C=compression

A=airway

B-breathing

COMPRESSION:

Lie the person on his back flat.

Place the palm of your one hand at the midline of the sternum between the nipples.

Place the second hand onto one hand by locking together with knees locked and the shoulder upright at 90° with the hand.

Start compression with the depth of 2 inches (5 cm) deep but not more than 2.4 inches (6 cm) and with the ratio of 30:2 compressions to breath. Compressions should be 100-120/min. Allow the chest to spring back after every push.

Airway:

Open the airway; check the mouth to remove any object that can cause obstruction.

If you are trained personnel and have done 30 compressions. Then follow these steps to give breath. This is called the HEAD-TILT, CHIN-LIFT method.

Place your palm on a person’s forehead.

Gently tilt the head and lift the chin forward with your fingers to open the airway.

Breath:

Place your mouth on a person’s mouth and give 2 breaths. Deliver each breath over 1 second, enough to be able to raise the person’s chest.

The cycle of compressions to breathe must be continued until an Artificial electrical defibrillator is available. Once the AED is available, place both pads of it in the designated place and wait for the AED’s verbal response. It indicates that shock is advised, stop doing CPR and stand upright, and wait for the shock to be delivered. Immediately after shock, if no further shock is advised, continue CPR by following the C-A-B sequence until further assistance is provided.

Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation:

It is divided into 2 components:

Infant CPR ˂ 1 year	Child CPR ˃ 1 year
Infant CPR is done with 2 fingers placed on the sternum below the end of the nipples. CPR is followed by 30 compressions and a depth of 1.5 inches, followed by 2 breaths. Compression frequency should be the same, 100-120/min.	Children above 1 year are the same as adults. 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths with the frequency of compressions 100-120/min.

Conclusion:s

CPR doubles or triples the chances of survival. Every other person should seek CPR by workshops to be able to handle any cardiac arrest patient anywhere. This is a lifesaving technique, and it doesn’t require a person to learn with medical background. CPR learning is very important for every citizen to rescue in any medical emergency without waiting for an Ambulance or any medical help.

FAQs:

Who needs CPR?

Any person who is unconscious, not breathing, with no pulse, no bleeding, but only gasping, should seek CPR.

What should I do if I am feeling tired while doing CPR?

CPR is hard to do, and it requires another person to switch for a better rescue. If you find another person who knows CPR, keep switching after every 2 minutes without giving a gap in compressions. If you are alone, keep doing CPR until medical aid arrives.

Can you break a person’s ribs by doing CPR?

The risk of potential injury is minimal compared to saving a life by effective compression. The ratio of survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients is zero who don’t receive high-quality compression followed by medical aid with an AED.