Keys To Act If You Witness A Cardiorespiratory Arrest
Cardiorespiratory arrest is a situation in which a person’s breathing and blood circulation suddenly stop. It is a critical moment that puts the life of those who suffer it at risk. However, it is potentially reversible.
What does this mean? That it is potentially reversible means that if you act quickly and correctly you can save that person’s life. However, it is not like in the movies. Cardiorespiratory arrest is something that is surrounded by myths.
In fiction, when someone starts CPR, the person suddenly wakes up like nothing. This is quite far from the truth. Faced with a real cardiorespiratory arrest, consciousness can only be returned by electrical stimulation to the heart.
The truth is that, if we know how to act correctly before this, we can really save someone’s life. Therefore, in this article we explain what to do before a cardiorespiratory arrest using some simple keys.
How important is it to know how to act in the face of cardiorespiratory arrest?
When a person suffers a cardiorespiratory arrest, both their blood circulation and their breathing stop. This means that oxygen does not reach all parts of the body. If this situation continues for more than 6 or 8 minutes, the brain suffers serious damage.
Here is the importance of acting quickly. Unfortunately, 80% of cases occur outside of the healthcare environment. In fact, almost 60% are produced in the person’s own home. Currently, it is estimated that only 6 out of 100 Spaniards know how to act in this situation.
What to do before a cardiorespiratory arrest is to provide that person with basic life support. That is, it is about replacing the functions that that person has lost through simple measures.
The idea is to keep the oxygen flowing and the blood circulating until the toilets arrive. They will be in charge of stimulating the heart again to try to reverse the situation.