EVERYBODY must support the campaign initiated by the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), Philippine College of Cardiology and the Council on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation to teach ordinary citizens how to act in the event of a cardiac arrest. Unprecedented in scope, the “Nationwide Mass Training on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)” simultaneously held on April 25 in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Baguio City, Cagayan, Olongapo, Pampanga, Batangas, Albay, Legazpi City, Cebu City, Leyte, Bohol, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Aklan, Iloilo, Iligan, Davao, Tagum City, Zamboanga and in Metro Manila zeroed in on the techniques of doing hands-only CPR.
There are compelling reasons why we must learn how to perform hands-only CPR. Heart attack, as cardiac arrest is more popularly known, can happen any time to anyone. The importance of preparing ourselves to act in an emergency cannot be stressed enough.
Take the case of PBA superstar Avelino “Samboy” Lim who suffered a cardiac arrest during an exhibition game in November 2014. At the time of Lim’s cardiac arrest, no one inside the game’s venue knew how to administer proper CPR to him. This is the reason his brain was deprived of oxygen for almost half an hour before he was rushed to the hospital. Had he been given adequate CPR during the first three minutes he was rendered unconscious, his chances of recovery could have been much better. Heart experts say a person who stops breathing has to be revived within four minutes because beyond that, the loss of oxygen supply to the brain leads to a comatose state. Unfortunately, that’s what happened to Lim.
It pays to remember this: Without the application of CPR, the survival rate of cardiac arrest is very low. Administering CPR immediately can enhance the chances of survival, according to experts. Given that 80 percent of cardiac-arrest cases happen at home, there’s a good chance for a person who knows how to do CPR to save the life of a loved one. We must empower ourselves with the skills needed to intervene, rather than remain helpless bystanders, while waiting for the arrival of medical personnel. We can have the power to save lives.
It is hoped that the current campaign to train ordinary folks to perform hands-only CPR will decrease bystander reluctance to do CPR, especially in extreme emergency cases. If we have more CPR-trained people, we can reduce the time needed to respond to heart-attack emergencies and ultimately improve survival rates.
Let’s equip more Filipinos with the skills needed to perform bystander CPR. We can make lifesavers out of ordinary citizens by giving them the training that will make them confident to step up when a cardiac emergency arises. Anyone can learn CPR, and everyone should. (Note: get in touch with PHA if you want to organize training in your office or community). Here’s the best part: Once you have learned CPR, you can empower other people to save lives by transferring the knowledge that gives them the confidence to act quickly in an emergency.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano