You don't have to be properly trained in first aid to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a person suffering cardiac arrest, and the Canadian Association of Emergency Doctors is advising people to act quickly and save lives.
That advice is wholeheartedly endorsed by Prince George Fire Rescue Services chief John Lane.
"If you don't intervene, then the certain outcome is death," said Lane. "The more bystander intervention we get, the higher our survival rate will be.
"There has certainly been a hesitation on the part of bystanders to become involved in CPR because of the mouth-to-mouth component and research has shown that compression-only CPR, without the mouth-to-mouth component, is quite effective, especially in cardiac arrests that have just
occurred."
A year ago at the Northern Sport Centre, Lane was off-duty while overseeing his daughter's soccer practice when he witnessed how effective CPR performed by non-medical personnel can be.
A man suffered cardiac arrest while on the jogging track and three people jumped in to perform CPR when they determined his heart had stopped.
By the time Lane got to the scene, the unconscious man was receiving chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and one of the rescuers had located an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Lane used the defibrillator to apply an electric shock that restarted the man's heart and got him breathing again. He went on to make a full recovery.
Every year, more than 20,000 Canadians suffer cardiac arrest and 85 per cent of those incidents are away from hospitals.
Less than 10 per cent of those patients will survive.
The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation estimates that for every minute that passes, the chances of survival of a victim of cardiac arrest drops by
10 per cent.
If, however, CPR chest compressions are applied immediately, the survival chances increase by 300 to 400 per cent.
But Canadian bystanders are reluctant to use CPR. Although nearly half of all cardiac arrest situations are witnessed, only about 25 per cent of those people receive CPR help.
Brain damage can set in four to six minutes after a sudden cardiac arrest. Lane said 10 minutes without circulation is almost certain to cause severe brain injury or brain death. Some cases are simply not survivable, even with immediate first aid.
"If you can't feel a pulse or the person appears to be lifeless, start chest compressions. Push fast and push hard on the middle of the chest. That is much better than
doing nothing," said Lane.
"In the early days of CPR there was a great deal of concern about the concept of doing compressions on a heart that was still beating, but the research has really shown in the past 20 or 30 years there is little if any danger associated with that."
Interrupting compressions is not recommended, even for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The key is to use compression to build up enough pressure in the chest cavity to move the blood through the body.
"The only time you should stop compressing is when the defibrillator has to look at the heart rhythm and you're actually delivering the shock," Lane said.
Lane said people should not be afraid to use defibrillators. They are designed for laypeople and he says they are easier to use than a fire extinguisher. AEDs will not deliver a shock to an already-beating heart.
For those who are worried about legal implications of stepping in to help an unconscious patient, the law is on the public's side. First-aid providers in B.C. are protected from being sued by the Good Samaritan's Act, except in cases of gross negligence.
First aid for a
cardiac attack victim
The first thing to do, says Lane, is to try to rouse the patient. If that is unsuccessful and there are no signs of life, begin chest compressions immediately. Send someone to call 911 for an emergency crew, and, if possible, have somebody else apply mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while you maintain chest compressions. If there is a defibrillator in the building, send someone to retrieve it and continue compressions.
Once the defibrillator pads have been applied, turn the machine on and follow the verbal instructions it will provide and shock the patient if that is what is required.
