C P R It’s not as hard as it looks! Whilst it may look complicated from afar, administering CPR is actually easier than it seems, especially with the latest updates in advice. Read on to find out how you could save a life. Words: Dr Ben Walters, Emergency Medicine Specialist Cardiac arrest is certainly no laughing matter, but if you are looking to educate yourself with some practical, life-saving knowledge and have a chuckle in the process, you should look up the British Heart Foundation’s spoof instructional video starring soccer player turned Hollywood ‘hard man’, Vinnie Jones. (https:// www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/how-to-save-a-life/hands-only-cpr) In a comical yet informative manner, Vinnie runs through a sequence of steps to help you act effectively if you witness a cardiac arrest. The holiday season brings with it an abundance of cheer and plenty of celebrations, but the downside is that it is also brings a rise in tragedies such as cardiac arrest, choking and drowning. Whilst nothing can compare to a formal first aid or resuscitation course, if you find yourself a bystander in such an emergency, doing something is better than doing nothing. When it comes to adults, the most likely treatable cause for a sudden collapse or cardiac arrest is that they have had a heart attack and developed an abnormal heart rhythm as a result. In 2010 the International Liaison Committee On Resuscitation acknowledged that they needed to simplify guidelines to encourage more people to attempt bystander CPR. Without Bystander CPR survival rates were as low as 5% - 6% whereas with bystander CPR they could be as high as 60% - 70%. 12 Pindara Magazine 2016
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Nine
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