Your spouse has just clutched their chest, began to have trouble breathing and has fallen to the ground. They begin to have convulsions, their eyes roll up and breathing stops. It is your wife or husband, your son or daughter, your friend or the old guy you've known for ten years in your office. You can help. You can learn how to bring life to a lifeless body. A new technique means mouth-to-mouth might not be necessary.
Number one. Call 911. Help will actually come as fast as they can. In the UK, it is 999 and in Mexico 066. Do it right. Make sure they know the problem, your address and any important directions (“It's 14th Street not 14th Avenue.”), and specifically say someone is not breathing and that you need medical assistance.
If possible have someone else call the emergency number while you start chest compressions. In the advanced countries emergency workers are trained and equipped for quick response. If another person is available have them light the way and (safely) guide the rescuers to your location.
In a recent cardiac arrest situation here in southern-border Mexico, I was alone and realized the Red Cross (Cruz Roja) ambulance had a 20 - 30 minute trip to get to us and that the emergency call to 066 might not go as quickly as needed, due to my mediocre Spanish and the past quality of local dispatchers. There are always decisions to be made when life hangs balanced before your eyes. I worked at resuscitation in the best way I knew until breathing was restored (luckily, before my own physical resources were used up). It was not by the book but, more importantly, get trained, stay up to date, try to make good decisions and more people can survive cardiac arrest.
Begin CPR – for which you should have taken a course or, at least, studied on the Internet. The University of Washington has a fine site, "Learn CPR - You Can Do It”. They present a great introduction, then tell you to take a course. Take the course!
El mismo sitio en Español es ”Aprendà RCP. Si, Se Puede!” RCP para adultos, ninos, infantes, gatos y perros.
Tambien, informaciòn sobre casos de atragantamiento.
Article comments
1 - David Gonzalez
When I was a paramedic, we were taught that tilting the head back would cause the epiglotis to block the airway. Now I'm seeing in many First Aid websites that tilting the head is back. Can this be true? I am now running an international NGO, and am not current in CPR technique changes. I live in a quite poor country, where emergency services all almost inexistent (reason for which most people die due to lack of emergency treatment on the scene) and I have considered creating/establishing an effective EMS center in various provinces, to help save lives. If anyone knows about these changes in CPR techniques, and their proven effectiveness, please, visit our website for the email address to write to me.
2 - hhhhh
hey hows it goin?