Thousands of people suffer a cardiorespiratory arrest each year. One could speak of a 70% survival rate in the event that one knew how to act in such situations. For this reason, many professionals insist on educating, already from educational centers, in basic CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) . That is, in recognizing a cardiac arrest and acting without loss of time, because every second, in these cases, matters. For this reason, throughout this article we will talk about how to act in a cardiorespiratory arrest .
Causes of a cardiorespiratory arrest
There are many causes, but the main reason is a cardiac arrhythmia called ventricular fibrillation , which causes the heart to lose its ability to contract in an organized way, so it stops beating.
The victim first loses his pulse, and within a few seconds, he also loses consciousness and the ability to breathe. If you do not receive immediate care, the consequence is death within minutes . It is an extraordinarily common pathology that we often underestimate.
Resuscitation
Resuscitation must be started early; For every minute that passes, the chances of survival decrease by ten percent , so after 10 minutes, these chances are minimal. There are exceptions, such as cases that occur in children, drowning or cases related to very low temperatures in which there may be a chance of survival after a longer time.
To improve the prognosis and care for cardiac arrest, a series of actions are defined that are vital and are part of what is called the “ chain of survival ”.
How to act in a cardiorespiratory arrest
As we have already indicated previously, if you suffer a cardiac arrest on the street and do not receive the necessary assistance, your probability of surviving after 10 minutes is practically nil. For this reason, it is vital that we all know how to act in the face of cardiorespiratory arrest . Knowing it or not can be the difference between death and saving a life. In addition, we are not only talking about preventing a person from dying, but also about avoiding the possibility of continuing to live without a trace of sequelae.
More and more defibrillators are installed in public areas . Now, to be efficient, it is essential to know how to use them. Next, we will offer you all the necessary information.
Steps we must take before a cardiorespiratory arrest
If we want to save the life of a person who has suffered cardiac arrest, we must comply with all the steps contained in the ” chain of survival “. If we comply with each of its points, we will know how to act in a cardiorespiratory arrest .
Between one step and another we cannot waste time. Once we find a case with these characteristics, we must call the emergency department and begin to carry out each point of this program in order to save the life of the person who has suffered cardiac arrest.
Recognize a cardiorespiratory arrest
A cardiorespiratory arrest ( CPA) is defined as a sudden, unexpected, and potentially reversible cessation of the heartbeat and respiration . Before a PCR, we must start CPR as soon as possible. CPR is the set of maneuvers that are aimed first at replacing and then at restoring the heartbeat and respiration .
Thus, if we come across a person lying on the ground, the first thing to do is assess the situation . This means that we will have to assess whether she is conscious or unconscious , shaking her, for example, by the shoulders. If he is moving or sputtering, it means that he is breathing and has a pulse. If this is the case, we will notify emergencies and we will monitor.
There is no answer but he does breathe
In the event that she does not respond and breathe , we must place her in a safe position when we do not suspect a spinal cord injury. Next, we will notify emergencies and monitor their progress until the medical team arrives.
Check whether he breathes or not
To assess whether or not to breathe , we must see, hear, and feel. If the risk of spinal cord injury is not suspected, we will place the patient on his back and pull the head back, hyperextending the neck.
We will also place one hand on the forehead and the other on the jaw to clear the airways. We will check if you breathe by placing our cheek near your mouth and nose, looking at your chest to see if the chest rises and falls, hear your breath and feel if you breathe.
Does not respond or breathe
In the event that it does not respond or breathe, we are facing a CRP and it is vital to start resuscitation without loss of time. Now, first of all we must notify emergencies. When we contact the professionals we will inform them of as much data as we can. For example, we will indicate the elapsed time, the situation or how it has happened if we have witnessed it. Emergencies will tell us at all times what to do and will tell us the situation of the nearest DESA
If you are not alone, the other person will be in charge of calling emergencies and going to find the nearest DESA. Once we have it, we will connect it and follow its instructions . When medicalized help arrives we will step aside and let them work, but we will inform them of what we have done so far.
Perform compressions and ventilations
Start with 30 chest compressions first and then two ventilations , whether there are one or more rescuers. There are two exceptions where you start with the ventilations first and then the compressions. These are in children and in drowned (5 rescue ventilations).
Understandings
The compressions will be made with the arms straight (do not bend the elbows) and compressing approximately one third of the thorax (5-6 cm). We will use both hands, with the rescuer’s fingers intertwined. Likewise, we will place our hands in the center of the thorax, between the two nipples.
Between 100 and 120 compressions per minute should be performed, allowing the entire chest to decompress between compression and compression. To keep the rhythm correct there is a song that will help us, and it is “la Macarena”. It is very important to assess that there are signs of life every 2 minutes .
Vents
First, it is important to ensure the opening of the airway with the forehead-chin maneuver . Once this is done, we must inspire and cover the mouth of the person who is unconscious, always ensuring a good seal. Afterwards, we have to inflate the mouth in a sustained manner for about 1 second, with enough force and volume to produce a visible elevation of the thorax.
Later, it is necessary to keep the airway open, separate the victim’s mouth and observe that his chest descends when the air comes out. Finally, we will have to breathe in again and repeat the sequence.
In case of not being able or not wanting to carry out the ventilations, it must be taken into account that they are not essential, but we will continue to carry out the compressions .
How to use a DESA
The first step you should take is to place one patch under the left armpit and the other under the right clavicle , near the breastbone. If there is more than one rescuer, we should not interrupt CPR. The device will offer verbal and visual instructions, follow them.
When you have completed the previous steps, separate and download if indicated by the device. Then continue with CPR, unless you are sure the victim has recovered and is breathing normally.
