(Opinion) You can learn a lifesaving skill — CPR

Dr. Robert Rix

HEALTH CARE

By: Dr. Robert Rix 

CPR saves lives. More specifically, early chest compressions after a cardiac arrest can double or even triple the odds of survival by keeping blood flowing to the brain and the heart while awaiting further emergency care.

Maintaining blood flow to the heart by performing chest compressions is the key factor when it comes to increasing the odds of successfully shocking the heart back to life should it stop beating during a heart attack.

For many people, the thought of performing CPR can feel intimidating. Some worry they will do it incorrectly. Others hesitate because they are unsure about rescue breathing or fear causing harm. But when it comes to sudden cardiac arrest caused by a heart attack, what matters most is taking action quickly, and that’s where hands-only CPR comes in.

Though the traditional compressions plus rescue breathing model of CPR still has an important role in certain conditions, when it comes to cardiac arrest due to a heart attack, compressions alone (“hands only”) have been shown to be just as effective as conventional CPR and, in some studies, even better.

This is because it’s all about starting compressions as soon as possible, and every small delay can decrease the chance of survival. After a person collapses in cardiac arrest, there is still plenty of oxygen in the lungs, and compressions alone can help distribute oxygenated blood throughout the body’s vital organs, a key factor when it comes to survival after cardiac arrest.

Survival after cardiac arrest is also greatly impacted by how quickly EMS can get to a cardiac arrest victim. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are the system of trained medical professionals who provide lifesaving care to the sick or injured before they reach the hospital. EMS providers play a key role when it comes to the health of a community by providing timely and lifesaving medical and trauma care to the citizens they serve, and are a vital part of the chain of survival when it comes to cardiac arrest.

Every day, EMS teams across New Hampshire respond to emergencies under challenging and unpredictable circumstances. They bring expertise, calm and compassion into some of the most difficult moments people and families will ever face.

You never know when you may be called upon to help save a life. Learning hands-only CPR takes only a few minutes, but the confidence to act could make all the difference for someone you love.

Dr. Robert Rix is the medical director at Concord Hospital Emergency Medical Associates.