Sudden cardiac arrest and how to save a life.

[Guest]

The survival rate for victims of out of hospital sudden cardiac arrest is very poor. Greater public awareness could dramatically raise the survival rate. Brain death and permanent death start to occur in just 4-6 minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest.

We all have the ability to save a life, just by learning how to perform the simple procedure of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), an emergency medical procedure for victims of cardiac arrest. CPR is unlikely to restart the heart, but rather its purpose is to maintain a flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and the heart, thereby delaying tissue death and extending the brief window of opportunity for a successful resuscitation without permanent brain damage. Defibrillation and advanced life support will normally then successfully restart the heart.

I have only just learned how to perform CPR.........a comprehensive guide can be found online. There are also local government funded First Aid courses to learn how to perform CPR available to all.

We should all learn CPR.........any of us can save a life.

Starlight Impress x

[Beaches]

Sudden cardiac arrest and how to save a life.

I am certified in CPR and First Aid. It was intersting because when I first started it was believed the CPR would re-start a heart and later found out that is not true. It keeps blood circulating which is so helpful. I am also certified in infant and child CPR.

Good lesson for all to learn, thanks Star

[memarcie]

Sudden cardiac arrest and how to save a life.

Thanks Star!

[amethyst]

Sudden cardiac arrest and how to save a life.

Yes, I am also certified in CPR, and the defib machines, as well as 1st aid. You never know-best to be prepared!!!

[Tigger1]

Sudden cardiac arrest and how to save a life.

Star, hi... You ARE right, the more people trained the better.... One thing I found interesting when I did my first aid training, is that here in the UK more and more, shopping centres, tourist sites, airports etc, have the defib machine and trained operatives.... After saying that, everyone should consider first aid training, you never know when you might need it.

[YoungAtHeart]

Sudden cardiac arrest and how to save a life.

Thanks Star. I learned how to do CPR once--I remember some basics. No doubt I need a refresher course. You remind me that it's also time for me to donate blood.

Only one in ten people who can donate blood do so. This is terrible!! One pint of blood can save up to three lives. Usually blood banks are terribly low at this time of the year.

I encourage anyone who can give blood but doesn't to give it a try. You'll feed good about yourself!

[Guest]

Sudden cardiac arrest and how to save a life.

Thanks all. It`s so sad how many of us, myself included, have no life saving skills and have not bothered to or gotten around to learning how to perform CPR........I have only just learned how to perform CPR.

Many of you will know that my cousin is on life support after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest.......he collapsed in the street and noone around him knew how to or thought to perform CPR on him in the street........that dreadful delay has caused his life and neurological condition to be hanging in the balance.........I am ashamed that it took this to happen to my family to make me see that we must all have life saving skills.

Kathy, similarly, in all of my adult life, I have never given blood.......I shall now. Each of us has a responsibility to ensure that we do our bit to stock the blood banks.

Complacency costs lives.

Starlight Impress x