Since cardiac emergencies are commonplace, there is a need for people to learn the initial emergency measures to be adopted in case one amongst us suddenly experiences heart failure. Medical professionals are well trained in this. But what can you and I do, as laymen, to help one who is badly in need of emergency medical care? The stories of two medical professionals, which I am about to narrate here, must open your eyes to this.
A wonderful, professionally expert nurse in her late thirties started showing signs of unusual heart rhythm and started medication for treating this. She was about to turn forty, but one night, she felt a strange feeling in her chest and dropped on the floor. Her husband, who was nearby, rushed to her side, but not being well-versed in emergency medical care, he neither called 911 nor applied AED or CPR for several minutes. The lost minutes proved fatal with the oxygen supply to her brain getting cut off. Anyway, she survived, and recovered the ability to talk but is presently living in a permanent care facility in an almost vegetative state.
Another medical doctor, again in her late thirties, suffered from a heart failure and collapsed in a street while jogging. A lady, while looking out through her window, noticed this and quickly called 911 and ran to her. Incidentally, this lady had enough knowledge on CPR and was able to administer it quickly to the patient. In a matter of seconds, her breathing was restored and in the meantime, a police car pulled up with an AED in its trunk. The police officer and the lady quickly hooked up the AED and gave the young doctor a shock. By the time an ambulance arrived, the doctor was stable enough to be transported to a hospital. She recovered fully, and is now the proud mother of a six month baby.
What message do the two similar incidents, with dissimilar results convey? The stories convey the ultimate truth that we all need to learn CPR, irrespective of what you are or who you are. Schools, churches, business or any other public facilities need to be equipped with professionals with enough knowledge on CPR. Keeping emergency vehicles equipped with AED facilities would also help here. Since millions of people are dying from heart diseases and strokes every year, this would be a wise practice to ensure that at least some people are saved in time. In this endeavor, contacting the local offices of American Red Cross or American Heart Association would be of immense help.
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