I am extremely private about details concerning my Mr. Z's passing last October 10th, but suffice it to say I thought he was alive for good reason and 911 talked me through the chest pumping..."no mouth anymore". He didn't make it but someone you love could....or even a stranger.
How many more of us might try to save a stranger in a dire situation if we knew 'just' pushing on his or her chest will suffice, that you do not have to breathe for that person?
Please read the article...............if it saves one life, it's worth the blog space.
this is dedicated to my Mr. Z. But then, everything is.
z
15 comments:
This is good info. Thanks Z.
Thanks for posting this Z.
People don't realize how much this can help. Sometimes a person goes down with what we call a "shockable rhythm".
This means that they may be able to be saved when the paramedics get there with a defibrillator.
While they are in this rhythm the heart is not moving blood around. Chest compressions keep the blood flowing until the paramedics arrive and restore the heart function.
Keeping the blood flowing delivers oxygen to the tissues (the brain, the heart, etc). This helps save these vital organs and helps the patient survive with a better quality of life.
Sorry for the lecture, I just started typing.
One more thing. If you have children, learn infant/child CPR and how to help choking victims. I actually performed the Heimlich on my son when he was younger and had his airway obstructed.
It is amazing how many things change over the years, and usually for the better. CPR is a lifesaver, and everyone should take a class if at all possible.
I think all new parents need to know infant CPR and the Heimlich maneuver.
Thanks for the reminder.
Your page on Christopher Hitchens didn't open. I read it on the reader.
We got Tea Party rallies all over Jacksonville today in support of AZ and Governor Brewer! I'm taking the ay off to help. I'll fill you in later.
I was hoping you'd come by Chuck, as a nurse I knew you'd have something good to add..thanks so much. Thanks for this confirmation.
Linda, re Hitchens, I asked for prayer for him in my post because he has esophageal cancer, but I was told he has asked for NO PRAYER, so I deleted it. Sad, he's a very nice man, I talked to him for a time once, and I wanted to do something for him, but I have to respect his wishes. I'll be praying privately.
Jingo, PLEASE fill us in later.
Many are saying this might be a good thing, that the judge's ruling is waking people up even bigger had it slipped into law; the media'd probably not have covered it as much but I can only imagine the amount of illegals who'd have stormed the bastille.
Imagine now people are emboldened to fight US for OUR generosity? pretty amazing.
Chuck points out the importance of the Heimlich. I've used it twice: once, way back when, on a student in elementary school; most recently, on Mr. AOW.
My cousin died at the age of 49 in 1992 when a friend of his used mouth-to-mouth instead of the Heimlich. **sigh**
Know what to do and when!
Seems to me it's pretty obvious when someone's choking versus having heart failure......the symptoms just have to be different, aren't they?
I thought choking is a pretty obvious, frenzied thing and it's clear to see something has to come out of the airpipe...
Heart attack, etc..the person might be holding his chest (most women do NOT, from what I hear, matter of fact, women have attacks and often don't know it)...but someone lying there collapsed is probably from a heart attack IF you were there to see it happening..
Chuck, any input on this?
And, of course, this CPR method is not 'instead of' Heimlich...
Z, I feel for you. My brother gave his wife CPR the night she passed away from breast cancer. I couldn't have done it. You're so very strong.
Good post, Z. It's shocking how few people know the new rules about CPR.
The beat to the BeeGees song, "Staying Alive" is an easy way to remember how fast to push on someone's chest.
Personally, I think the Heimlich maneuver is one of the greatest things on the planet. I used it on my daughter when she was choking on a pretzel. I was in control during the emergency, but after it was all over and she was running around totally unconcerned, I was shaking like a leaf. Very scary stuff.
Unfortunately for my great uncle, I wasn't at the restaurant when he choked on a piece of bread and there was nobody who could help him. By the time he reached the hospital, he was oxygen deprived to the point of being brain dead.
It's important that everyone learns these very easy lessons.
When my daughter was two years old, I had given her a small slice of apple. Suddenly she ran into the room where I was, with her mouth open and a distressed look on her face, her big blue eyes looking at me to do something.
I realized she couldn't breathe, and instinctively I ran, picked her up, held her upside down holding her up by her tiny ankles with one hand, and slapped her back pretty hard. A piece of apple skin flew out of her mouth.
We were visiting Mr. Pris's relatives and they had all gone to the store. I was there by myself with my daughter.
I can't tell you how many times over the years I've thanked God for the strength and instinct I had that day. I had no time to think, for some reason I seemed to know what to do.
And one more thing. I peeled every apple I gave her for years after that.
I mainly tell you all this, because maybe sometime, you'll be around a little one who needs this kind of help. It worked.
Z, I would try to help a stranger with CPR, and it wouldn't bother me to do the breathing if it was warranted. I can't imagine standing there and watching someone die without doing something.
Pris
Cube, WOW...I'm so glad you saved your child and how tragic about your uncle.
Pris, it's pretty well known that most people don't want to do the mouth thing, especially since AIDS...it's just the way people are.
I think it's very important that more people know now that one shouldn't do that in most cases.
I'm so happy you saved your S!!
I have heard so many stories of children being saved like that but so few of adults being saved in any way by Heimlich or CPR. Matter of fact, the stats show that CPR's really NOT that good BUT, as Chuck says, if you can just keep the heart pumping to the brain and other organs, that's half the battle till 911 gets there!
Grape skins, apple skins and hot dogs are other dangerous things...I have a distant cousin who's little girl choked to death on popcorn somehow. The hot dog skin has also caused problems.
so scary.
Elbro, You'll do ANYTHING when you're faced with it. I didn't think I could do that, either.
of course, they told me to get him on the floor. Ever try to get a 200 lb, 6'4" man on the FLOOR out of bed? Well, that didn't happen and I worked on him while he was on our bed.
One thing they don't tell you is, in that position of pushing, your back will KILL YOU...and YOU WILL NOT CARE if it's someone you love and you feel this is his only chance.
oh, my
Truth is chest compressions are not that effective. It is estimated that you only achieve 25% efficiency of normal heart function with good CPR. With this said, 25% is more than zero. Lives are saved with CPR, I have seen it.
Women do not always show the same symptoms. We are quicker to do EKGs on women if they are having neck pain or shoulder pain, etc.
As far as the Heimlich, it is only for choking.
You are likely to know the difference when you see it, unless the person has lost consciousness. People who are choking cannot speak, they can become bluish, they may have a high pitched breathing sound.
Cube is right, they are great things to know.
The cool thing now is that a lot of public places have AEDs (portable defib machines). This will save a lot of lives.
Thanks Chuck, but they're not more effective than chest AND mouth, right?
I just hope people know where those AEDs are!
NO. I'm not sure of the physiology behind not doing mouth to mouth. I think the idea is that the chest compressions pull air into the lungs and have some exchange. Plus, people are more likely to do it so bad CPR is still better than none.
I am a certified instructor of CPR/First Aid. Over the years I have been teaching, I learned that many people feel intimidated by the subject, but really, it is not hard to learn and it is very important information to know.
I have been able to use this knowledge to help people a few times.
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