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What to do in case of cardiac arrest?

Sometimes the unthinkable happens. Then quick action is required. In the event of a cardiac arrest, the affected person must be resuscitated as quickly as possible. Here’s how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in an emergency.

Cardiac arrest: more than 50,000 sufferers a year

According to the German resuscitation register, at least 50,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital every year. Only 10% survive. The chances of survival could double or triple if more people started CPR immediately .

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is used to restore the heart’s activity after a person has gone into cardiac arrest. The resuscitation attempt must be initiated quickly. Familiarize yourself with this procedure so that you can save lives in an emergency.

How to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation

  1. Make sure the person has gone into cardiac arrest. If he or she is unconscious and not breathing regularly , there is a good chance they are in cardiac arrest. Then you have to initiate resuscitation immediately.

  2. Call the emergency services (112) or ask someone else to call 911. The person at the switchboard will give you instructions over the phone.

  3. For chest compressions: Lay the affected person on their back. Tilt your head back and keep your airway clear.

  4. Place the heel of one hand in the middle of your chest . Place the heel of your other hand over it and interlace your fingers.

  1. With arms straight, squeeze the chest 5 cm and maintain a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. That’s about 2 per second.

  2. Press 30 times .

  3. Open the airway by tilting the person’s head back and pinching their nose with your fingers.

  4. For mouth-to-mouth resuscitation : Slowly inflate your mouth to expand your chest.

  5. Blow 2 times in a row.

  6. Continue CPR at a 30:2 rate until the person is breathing on their own or emergency services arrive.

Performing chest compressions is hard work. Ask someone else to continue if you can’t take it anymore.

What can I do afterwards?

If you were there when someone went into cardiac arrest and needed CPR, you should talk to other people about what happened. There may be an opportunity to speak to the staff in the ambulance or the nurses in the emergency room.

Darrick Robles

I was born with the vocation of being a doctor. I have worked in public health centers in California and Washington, ​​in social projects in low-income countries, and in pioneering private centers in integrative medicine. Currently, I am the founder and medical director of the social enterprise Med-Healths, in which I combine my medical care work with giving conferences on health and well-being in business and social environments.