BYSTANDER CPR: Do You Have What It Takes To Save A Dying Person?

Life is like a bubble. We never know when it's going to burst. All we can do is to try and be prepared for any eventuality. With diseases like diabetes and hypertension reaching epidemic proportions, the number of heart attacks and strokes is on a steady rise. This is the picture globally. More people die from Cardiovascular disease annually than from any other disease. 

According to a report by the World Health Organization, an estimated 17.3 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2008 alone, accounting for 30% of global deaths. Of these, 7.3 million deaths were due to Coronary Heart disease, i.e. blocked vessels that supply the heart muscle and almost 6.2 million were due to strokes. 

Most people experience heart attacks when they are surrounded by people. That is either at home, work or in other public places like at sports events, the cinemas, while travelling on flights, trains etc. Studies have clearly shown that those people who received CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) before being brought to a hospital, showed higher survival rates. As high as 3 times than those who did not! But let's face it. Who is going to provide CPR on site and immediately when the person collapses? If you saw someone suffering a heart attack, would you intervene and provide CPR?

People usually wait for the Emergency Response Teams to arrive and stand around not doing much, which is really bad for the heart-attack victim. Unfortunately, calling 911 (or whatever the number is in your country) and getting an ambulance at your doorstep within minutes is a reality only in well developed countries. This is not the case everywhere. With the traffic on Indian roads and the non-existence of roads in some areas, the ambulance is never going to reach in time to save someone's life. 

This is where the concept of BYSTANDER CPR comes in. As the name indicates, this is CPR that is provided by the people in the immediate vicinity of the victim, without any waste of precious time. CPR is part of school curriculum in countries like USA and a lot of students and others, laymen in the public, are trained to react quickly and effectively in these situations. Unfortunately, in India, many medical graduates and nurses do not have Basic Life Support training to act as FIRST RESPONDERS. 

Message received, but where can I learn CPR? You DO NOT have to be in the field of medicine to get the necessary training. I was in conversation with Dr. Ramana Rao, Executive Partner and Head, Emergency Medicine Learning and Research Center, EMRI, Hyderabad and he told me such programs are being conducted for the general public on a regular basis in all the major cities in our country. Recently up to 30,000 people (Cab drivers, auto drivers, housewives, teachers, students, volunteers at major congregations like kumbhmela etc) have been trained to provide CPR as first responders until the Emergency medical teams arrives on site. YOU CAN LEARN TOO!

All of you would have seen CPR being delivered on screen in several movies and TV series. It basically has two important components. 

1) Chest compressions. 

2) Giving breaths.

Luckily, Bystander CPR is a HANDS-ONLY technique and the provider is expected to provide only chest compressions. Let me give you the details of how it should be done. This can save a life, pay attention !!

STEP 1: CALL FOR THE EMERGENCY SERVICES 108 (INDIA), 911 (USA) 

STEP 2: CALL OUT THE VICTIM'S NAME AND TRY TO AROUSE HIM

STEP 3: CHECK FOR A PULSE IN THE NECK (SPEND <10 SECONDS)

STEP 4: IF THERE IS NO PULSE, OR YOU ARE UNSURE, START CHEST COMPRESSIONS

This is how you position yourself next to the unconscious person and please note how your hands are placed over the chest. 

Circulation: Restore blood circulation with chest compressions

1. Put the person on his or her back on a firm surface.
2. Kneel next to the person's neck and shoulders.
3. Place the heel of one hand over the center of the person's chest, between the nipples. Place your other hand on top of the first hand. Keep your elbows straight and position your shoulders directly above your hands.
4. Use your upper body weight (not just your arms) as you push straight down on (compress) the chest at least 2 inches (approximately 5 centimeters). Push hard at a rate of about 100 compressions a minute.
5. If you haven't been trained in CPR, continue chest compressions until there are signs of movement or until emergency medical personnel take over.

If you are getting tired (you definitely will, if you are doing it right), ask someone else to take over.

Here is the official video for Bystander CPR by the American Heart Association.

This is basically it. There isn't much to it but you have to be well prepared and you have to act fast. If you have any doubts, feel free to clarify it with me anytime and there is a ton of literature available online to learn more.

Learning CPR is the best service you can do to your society and country. You may be the one who saves someone's life, giving him/her a chance to go home to their families. Please find out organizations and hospitals in your city that provide CPR courses and enroll yourselves. It is a single day course and you can be anyone. Just be a responsible citizen. Spread the word. Inspire others.

Gear up, to save lives.