Category Archives: CPR

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE HYPOTHERMIA

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, CPR, Education, Life Saving Education, , , , , ,

Thank you, readers, and my friends for all your support and comments on my last blog An Ode to Teachers. Trust all are safe out there and continuing to be safe. The surge of the pandemic seems to have slowed yet it is imperative on our part not to let our guard down. Jaggy and Maggie are back in this blog to discuss another situation on first aid which is HYPOTHERMIA. 

Maggie: “Hello Jaggy! Trust you are fine.”

Jaggy: “Yes, Maggie as always on top of the world.”

Maggie: “On top of the world as always. Good to hear that every time from you.”

Jaggy:” So, how was your trekking trip and did you encounter any Snakes?”

Maggie: “The trek went off very smoothly and we did not encounter any snakes thank God for that.” 

Jaggy: “Good to hear that and the trek seems to have refreshed you.” 

Maggie: “Yes, Jaggy it has refreshed me. I feel energised.” 

Jaggy: “Any situation you had encountered other than the aches and pains?”

Maggie: “There was one situation where we all got wet due to a sudden downpour. Most of us were ok but one of the guys was shivering very badly for a lot of time.” 

Jaggy: “Well, it must have been an attack of Hypothermia.”

Maggie: “Hypothermia what does that mean?”

Jaggy: “It is a medical condition for dropping of body temperature below normal.”

Maggie: “I know about body temperature, but could you explain a little more.”

Jaggy: “Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature. Normal body temperature is around 98.6 F (37 C). Hypothermia (hi-poe-THUR-me-uh) occurs as your body temperature falls below 95 F (35 C).”

Maggie: “How and when does this happen?”

Jaggy: “It happens when the body is exposed to extremely cold conditions like Wind, getting wet in cold water, and freezing temperatures whether indoors or outdoors. The person may be affected even if living in a home which does not have heating equipment in cold environs.” 

Maggie: “What are the symptoms and how do we recognise it?”

Jaggy: “It starts first with shivering, and then the skin becomes cold followed by mumbling or slurred speech and shallow breathing. The victim is usually confused as he is disoriented and there will be lack of energy and he may become drowsy. If not treated immediately it could lead to complications.” 

Maggie: “What do we do?”

Jaggy: “First get the person to a place of shelter out of the cold.  Remove wet clothing and pat the person dry. Put dry clothes on the person cover the body and head but not the face with blankets towels or even newspapers. Call for the local emergency services remained with the person until someone with more advanced training arrives if the person becomes unresponsive and he’s not breathing normally, or gasping give CPR.”

Maggie: “I remember now. One of our friends who is trained did exactly what you told and after some time, the guy recovered. We did not need the services of the ambulance or Hospital. It was scary though.” 

Jaggy: “Good Maggie. Your friend has done well. He might have even given him Hot Coffee to drink after a few minutes.” 

Maggie: “Correct but one of my other friends suggested to give him some brandy.” 

Jaggy: “Brandy or alcohol should not be given as it dilutes the superficial blood vessels and allows heat to escape making it even worse. The idea is to try and warm him up and in doing so never take him near places of radiant heat like a fireplace or hot water bottles as it causes burns to the skin.” 

Maggie: “Can we give him anything to eat if he is conscious.”

Jaggy: “Chocolates help as they are a high on energy.” 

Maggie: “What if it happens indoors?”

Jaggy: “Wrap up the person in a blanket. Give him hot soup or coffee or tea to sip slowly to regain warmth in the body. Minor Hypothermia can always be reversed but if severity increases it can be fatal.” 

Maggie: “What else can we carry apart from a first aid kit while trekking?”

Jaggy: “An extra sleeping bag, aluminium foils or wrappers can also be taken along, and oral rehydrating salts can be added too.”

Maggie: “Oral rehydrating salts what for?”

Jaggy: “In case you trek in summer. Nice talking to you Maggie.”

Maggie: “Thanks, Jaggy for all the inputs. Useful and lifesaving.” 

Maggie and Jaggy will be back with more in the next blog. Till then read, share, and teach so that we all can save a Life. See you all in my next blog.

Seshadri Varadarajan.  

Automated External Defibrillator

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE – AED

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, CARDIAC ARREST, CPR, Defibrillator, Innovation, Life Saving Education, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

Thanks to all the readers who have appreciated my last blog, Live Life Save Life where the characters Maggie and Jaggy discussed what to do in a Cardiac Arrest. The feed back received has only spurred me to continue to write better as it has increased the expectations of the readers. In this blog too Maggie and Jaggy will discuss more on Saving lives. Let us follow the conversation.

Maggie: “Hello Jaggy. You are looking great and in good health”.

Jaggy: “Yes, Maggie all is well with me looking forward to live life save life”.

Maggie: “Thank you for the conversation where you had explained the difference between Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest and the first aid to be done”. 

Jaggy: “Teaching skills that saves life is always a pleasure”.

Maggie: “Last time you had explained 2 steps of the Chain of Survival and particularly CPR. Can you explain more on the 3rd step the defibrillation”?

Jaggy: “Sure Maggie. In CPR by we are only circulating oxygenated blood to the brain and thereby we can save life, but every time CPR alone cannot do the job. The heart is to be jolted with a bit of electric current to get back to its normal rhythm”.

Maggie: “You mean we need to give an Electric shock? Can a first aider do that”!

Jaggy: “This is not something new Maggie. This technique has been around for a long time. Doctors and health care workers use it every day to save lives”.

Maggie: “Doctors always save lives, but can you explain more clearly”?

Jaggy: “In many a movie we have seen doctors performing a surgery on someone. Suddenly you see the monitor go erratic and the doctor shouts Cardiac Arrest!!! Immediately the doctor is handed over two small square shaped boxes to which gel is applied and the doctor uses them on the chest of the patient. Miraculously the person is revived”.

Maggie: “I have seen that, but movies are movies. Never real”.

Jaggy: “I know but not everything in a movie is fantasy. The doctor in the movie uses a device called a Defibrillator.  Defibrillator is a device which jolts the heart into a normal rhythm. The doctors use a Manual Defibrillator wherein they decide the amount of shock to be given. First aider is not a doctor. So, they use an AED. Automated External Defibrillator”.

Maggie: “Wow! Interesting. Love to know more”.

Jaggy: “An AED is in fact very simple to use. All one needs to do is just switch it on. Once switched on the AED by using voice prompts guides the first aider on how to use it”.

Maggie: “Sounds nice but can you be more specific on how to operate it”?

Jaggy: “Imagine some one suffered a Cardiac Arrest and is not responding. You need to ask someone nearby to call the Ambulance and get the AED. As the victim is not breathing you have started CPR. Once the AED arrives and switched on, it will prompt the user to Attach Pads to Patient’s Chest. Pictures on the pads will show you where exactly to attach it.

Once the pads are attached the AED will prompt Analysing Heart Rhythm. Do not touch the patient. CPR is stopped while the AED analyses. After a few seconds comes the instruction Shock Advised, Charging, Stay clear. The machine then delivers the shock. The patient will jerk a little which is normal. The AED then says it is safe to touch the patient. Begin CPR now. You perform CPR till the AED prompts you to stop and it reanalyses. Thus, with a combination of CPR and shock from the AED, lives can be saved during Cardiac Arrests”.

Maggie: “How soon we need to use an AED after a Cardiac Arrest”?

Jaggy: “Within the first 5 minutes. The sooner the better. If delayed the chances are going to be slim”.

Maggie: “It is indeed a life saving machine. Where all can we have an AED”?

Jaggy: “An AED can be placed anywhere. Usually, the ambulances are equipped with Defibrillators. In many countries they are available in Airports, Railway stations, Bus stations, places of work, and even schools. I mean they can be everywhere”.

Maggie: “Now that you have mentioned Schools, do we use different pads for children or infants”?

Jaggy: “Yes. The pads used are different, but if they are not available adult pads can be used. Children and infants rarely suffer Cardiac arrests”.

Maggie: “Nice Jaggy. Do we need to be trained to use it”?

Jaggy: “A first aider needs to be trained on how to use it. Most of the manufactures and sellers of AED arrange a training on how to use one. All one needs to do is attend. Even if not trained they can call the Emergency services who can guide them on how to use the same”.

Maggie: “Thank you so much. I’ll watch videos and attend a training for sure”.

How to use AED

Jaggy: “To sum up I would say this”.


CPR = Human effort
AED = technology
Human Effort + Technology = Miracles

More from Jaggy and Maggie in my next blog.

Thanks for Reading and Sharing.

Loving you all so much.

Seshadri Varadarajan.

HEART ATTACK

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE CPR.

CARDIAC ARREST, CPR, , , , , ,

Hello Readers. Trust Everyone out there in the world is safe and keeping safe. This New Year has brought a lot of Hope with the development of the vaccines for COVID-19. Trust it will control the pandemic and life will return to normalcy soon.

Two incidents in the past month have made me to change the subject of the blog from Fire safety. 1. A famous Cricketer from India had been admitted to Hospital after suffering a Heart Attack. 2. A colleague in the office lost his father to a Cardiac Arrest. These episodes set me thinking and I wanted to write about this as many a time, timely aid can save lives. To address this in an innovative way I would be taking the narrative as a Conversation between 2 people. This will help the readers understand better. The characters in the narration are Maggie and Jaggy. 

Maggie: “Hi Jaggy, How, are you? and trust you and your family are safe.”

Jaggy: “Hello Maggie. Me and my family are good and safe too. Though there is the talk of vaccination I feel we should still be careful.”

Maggie: “Yes, you are absolutely right. We all should take care. A lot has been happening over the last month and my favorite cricketer suffered a Heart Attack and thank God he is safe. But we could not save our uncle when he  collapsed and even though we took him to the Hospital the doctor declared him dead on arrival. The cause said was Heart Attack.”

Jaggy: “Sorry to hear that but it must have been a Cardiac Arrest and not a Heart Attack though people think both are the same.”

Maggie: What? I don’t understand you. This is news to me. Cardiac Arrest and Heart attack are different, is that so?

Jaggy: Yes, let me explain in detail to you. Though we think they are the same there is a lot of difference between the two. A Cardiac Arrest is an Electrical Problem in the Heart and a Heart Attack is a Plumbing problem.

Maggie: “Oh, Come on! You are totally confusing me now with your language. Electrical and Plumbing as if the heart is a pump.”

Jaggy: “Exactly. The heart is a pump which circulates blood to all parts of the body. It is a muscle by itself but works like a pump. There are pipes which carry the blood called Arteries and Veins. The distance of the blood circulation in the human body is nearly 96,500 kilometres long. But coming to our discussion Cardiac Arrest is when the heart stops beating due to an electrical malfunction. In this state the heart quivers and is not able to pump blood and thereby the brain does not receive Oxygen and the person collapses suddenly. This is a stage called Ventricular Fibrillation in Medical terms. In a Cardiac arrest invariably, the victim becomes unconscious and his breathing stops. The collapse is often sudden and without any symptoms or indication and often adults are affected. If proper first aid is not provided it can be fatal.”

Ventricular fibrillation - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Maggie: “I did not know all this about my own heart but now I understand What is Cardiac arrest all about. Now can you tell me what is a Heart Attack?

Jaggy: “Yes Maggie. A heart attack is nothing but a blockage in one of the arteries of the heart. This causes insufficient oxygen supply to the heart leading to a Heart Attack. The most dangerous block of all is in the coronary artery and can sometimes be fatal. Most people live normally even where there is a certain percentage of block ,but when it becomes more prominent then, a Heart attack is imminent. One good thing about a Heart attack is that the heart gives you indication or symptoms. Usually, a few days before the attack the person feels lethargic and may experience light pain in the chest, arms, neck, and shoulders. Many ignore this. Then one day there is severe chest pain, followed by breathlessness, sweating, nausea and a pale skin. Sometimes the victim will be thinking whether he will die. The Heart attack in medical terms is called Myocardial infraction.”

Heart Attack Causes, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & How to Prevent

Maggie: “Oh my god! How nicely you have explained all this Jaggy. As you are a Life Saving Trainer can you explain to me what first aid is to be given during these situations?

Jaggy: “Sure Maggie. Today I will tell you what to do for a Cardiac Arrest as persons with a Heart attack can be saved with early recognition and the victim is usually conscious in a Heart attack. The first aid procedure for Cardiac Arrest is called CPR. As a trainer we talk about the Chain of Survival and the steps involved in it are as follows.

  1. Early call to the Ambulance.
  2. Early CPR.
  3.  Early Defibrillation
  4. Early Advanced care in the hospital.”

Maggie: “Nice order Jaggy but what or which steps a layman, or a first aider must do in this. I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about?

Jaggy: “The procedure seems difficult on paper but is easy to do. A first aider or first responder can easily do the first 3 steps but the third one regarding defibrillation we will talk later. Now let us talk about the first 2 steps.  The moment you see or hear that someone is down or collapsed suddenly, rush to the spot immediately. First check whether the person is having a response or not?

Maggie: How do I check the response Jaggy is it difficult?

Jaggy: No, it is very easy. All you need to do is tap on his shoulder and shout loudly like Sir can you hear me. Are you OK? If the person does not respond immediately ask somebody to call the Ambulance. Every country has its unique number for Emergencies and in India it is 108. Once you check response and there is none ,you need to check whether the victim is breathing or not?

Maggie: I have understood how to check the response. Can you guide me on how to check breathing?

Jaggy: It is so simple all one needs to do is scan the chest and stomach area with the eyes for 5 to 10 seconds. If any movement is observed, then the victim is said to be breathing. If the victim is not breathing, we begin CPR.

Maggie: What is CPR? And how it is done?

Jaggy: CPR is Cardio, Pulmonary, Resuscitation and it involves a series of Chest Compressions and Mouth to Mouth Breathing. Thereby the first aider can circulate Oxygenated blood to the brain and the victim is kept alive. The process of CPR has undergone a lot of changes and currently you need to give 30 Chest Compressions and 2 Breaths alternatively till help or trained people with equipment arrive. Now let us put together the steps of CPR.

  1. Check the Response of the Victim.
  2. If no response call, the ambulance, or medical services.
  3. Look for signs of Breathing.
  4. If no breathing start giving 30 Chest Compressions HARD and FAST.
  5. Open the airway by tilting the head of the victim back.
  6. Give 2 breaths by pinching the nose and sealing the victims mouth with your own mouth.  
  7. Continue till help arrives.

The compressions are to be given, by placing the heel of the hand on the Centre of the chest and push hard and fast. The depth of compression should be 2 to 3 inches.

Maggie: “Jaggy I have a doubt here. What if the persons mouth has blood and these pandemic days is it safe to give breathing? Compressions can be given any time that I understand.”

Jaggy: “Now to avoid this kind of a situation doctors will tell you that you need not breathe if you cannot or not willing to. You can just proceed with compressions. The compressions given, are to be consistent, hard and fast. I know Maggie that you would have a lot more doubts on this which I will clarify, later. To know better attend a training session on CPR and watch videos on how to do it. Remember by giving CPR a lot of victims of Cardiac arrest can be saved.”

More from Maggie and Jaggy in the next blog.

Seshadri Varadarajan
Mobile 98408 14353