Some people live, but many more die: That’s the true reality behind Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. But what’s even truer is the possibility — even though seemingly minute — of giving patients a second chance at life, and another opportunity to once again breathe on their own.
Annually,
less than eight percent of the 380,000 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside
of a hospital survive, according to the American Heart Association. The AHA
also notes that effective bystander CPR provided immediately after sudden
cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival — but only 32
percent of cardiac arrest victims get CPR from a bystander.
I
clearly remember my first time doing CPR on someone. It was in 2006, and I was
enrolled in an EMT class and had just received my CPR card. I was extremely
“green” and inexperienced. I was scared. But I also, allegedly, had this
so-called quasi-godlike power.
As
I knelt down next to the patient to begin chest compressions, I think the
overwhelming adrenaline rush initially blurred my vision — it took me awhile to
recognize that the life I was trying to save was my friend’s father. This
definitely wasn’t, in my wildest imagination, what I was hoping for.
But
there’s a certain amount of professionalism and proficiency that had to take
place that Sunday afternoon. I became focused, and fell into a rhythm. I
refused to hand off my job until we transferred the patient over to the
hospital’s emergency room staff. I was drenched in the trio of sweat, awe and
pride.
Since
that time, I received my certification as a New York State EMT-Basic, and in
2008 completed my EMT-Critical Care credentials, allowing me to practice
advanced emergency life support of adult and pediatric patients. Nowadays, even
though I still consider myself in the green zone, as far as seasoned
experience, much of my responsibility lies in establishing intravenous lines,
intubation and delivering medication during cardiac arrest episodes. But I’ve
made an effort to never forget or let go of my basics, along with continuously
stressing the importance of effective CPR. Without appropriate intervention,
permanent brain damage begins after only four minutes without oxygen and death
can occur as soon as four to six minutes later, according to the National
Institutes of Health.
This
column isn’t meant to be a CPR how-to. It’s simply intended to encourage
everyone to become trained in basic CPR. One day, at some point, in some month
of some year, you may have the opportunity, most likely unexpectedly, to
perform CPR on another person that very possibly could be your parent, child,
spouse, sibling or friend.
For
more information on becoming trained in CPR, visit www.heart.org or www.redcross.org.
Brian T. Dessart, a former Herald Sports Preview Editor and
Director of Marketing, now writes for Sports Illustrated, covering performance,
fitness and action sports.