Blog on Cardiac Arrest, CPR & Defibrillators

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) can save lives of people struck by Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), by restarting the heart through shock. Since many SCA events take place outdoors, availability of AEDs in public spaces would be ideal to attend to such emergencies.

Kauvery Hospital's NGO initiative 'Restart Heart Foundation' aims to install over 100 AEDs at prominent locations in Chennai, over the next 3 years. In addition, over 10,000 individuals across schools, colleges, corporates and government offices shall be trained by the Foundation to use the Defibrillators.

India has very high figures of sudden cardiac arrest. Over 4,200 persons per 1 lakh population encounter cardiac arrest every year in our country. In fact, over 110 persons die due to cardiac arrest every minute in India.

Except for sudden cardiac arrests occurring in hospitals, all other episodes happen outdoors at home or outdoors. Persons with basic training in CPR, can carry out CPR and save the stricken person. 

Unfortunately just 2% of Indians are aware of CPR. Need of the hour is for everyone to learn CPR, to enable which on our portal cprsaveslife.in we have provided complete details of organisations providing CPR training in cities of India. 

Police stations in Mumbai (BKC, Bandra, Juhu, Santacruz, DN Nagar, Khar & Sakinaka) have now been equipped with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Other public locations in Indian cities where AEDs are available can be found on www.cprsaveslife.in/defibrillator-aed-installations-india

The AED is a small portable device that delivers an electric shock to the chest to reinstate regular heartbeat in a victim. Any victim of sudden cardiac arrest can be saved if CPR (chest compressions) are commenced immediately and as soon as an AED is available, connect the AED and when directed by AED stop the CPR and deliver shock to revive the heart.

When anyone is affected by sudden cardiac arrest near one of these AED installation locations, someone should rush to the location so that the AED can be brought out and used. Of course, until the time that AED becomes available, CPR should be ongoing. Cardiac ambulances also carry AEDs. 

Ace stock market investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, TV actor Siddharth Shukla and Gujarati theatre artiste Amit Mistry are some names who were felled by Sudden Cardiac Arrest recently. Siddharth Shukla, who was just 40, complained of chest pain at home and collapsed. He could have been saved if instantly 'Hands-only CPR' was administered by one of the people who were present. Instead he was rushed to the hospital and had died by the time the ambulance reached the hospital over 30 minutes later.

These tragic episodes highlight the need for generating awareness among people about Sudden Cardiac Arrest and how CPR can mitigate the crisis.

Ensure that 81 mg or 325 mg Aspirin tablets are always available with you. After the expiry dates of the drugs, replace the same with a new batch.

Heart attack symptoms are well-known. These are chest pain, radiating pain in the arm, nausea, breathlessness, sweating etc. Until ambulance staff arrives, the heart attack victim has to lie down comfortably with back and head in reclining position, while ensuring that the airway is clear.

Next, give a 2 tablets of 81 mg or 1 tablet of 325 mg Aspirin to chew. Chewable tablet/s are best, as compared to enteric-coated tablets.

In India, the moment a person collapses suddenly with no pulse or heartbeat, family members or bystanders, as the case may be, have only one objective in mind and that is to rush the person to hospital. Conveying the stricken person to hospital, either by private vehicle or by ambulance, rarely takes less than 15 minutes. In fact, often it is 30 minutes or longer. And the result? The person is found dead on arrival at the hospital.

Ignorance of essential first aid on occurrence for Cardiac Arrest, is costing hundreds of lives in India every day. There is a 6-minute ‘window of survival’ and within this short period of time, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) must commence. So, the moment you come across a Cardiac Arrest situation, ask someone else to call ambulance and hospital so that you can commence CPR immediately.