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From: avi@pegasus.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: lay-people doing CPR
Message-ID: <921@pegasus.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Feb-84 17:51:58 EST
Article-I.D.: pegasus.921
Posted: Thu Feb  9 17:51:58 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Feb-84 08:09:40 EST
References: <1529@tekig1.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Information Systems, Lincroft NJ
Lines: 40

tekig1!barabral asks:
 B	I went to a CPR class last week.  I'm curious...has anyone
 A	out there (who is not in the medical profession) actually
 R	used their CPR training in an emergency situation?  Could
 B	you keep a "cool" head and remember what to do?  

My first reaction is to say that although I AM medically trained, I don't feel
certain that I would react well in an emergency situation!! However, you have
to look at the other side of the issue. Until competent medical people
arrive, you may be the only one there. Even if your technique is not perfect, 
you can keep some oxygen flowing to their brain to prolong their ability to
survive until the troops come marching in.

A second point has to do with the definition of "lay person". Once you have
been certified as qualified in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, you are
now able to perform cardiac massage and breathing exercises. This does not
mean that you can not be sued if you goof (I think it depends on which State
you are in). It also does not mean you are trained to administer oxygen,
insert an IV, do an emergency tracheotomy or deal with Spinal Cord injuries.
(I know how to do these things, but my training is different.)

It is important to periodically take a refresher course, after you are first
certified -- particularly if you have not had an opportunity to use your
knowledge. You also need to stay in shape. I have only practiced on the
usual "Annies" and on people who were already dying, but were getting CPR to
make sure that we could say "everything was done until nothing else worked".
It can be rather tiring. After twenty minutes, my clothes (luckily they were
hospital "greens") were totally soaked with perspiration and I was exhausted.
Upon autopsy, I found out that I had managed to crack a few ribs, because
she had been old and brittle. However, I probably would have saved her under
normal circumstances -- if she hadn't been dying in a coronary care unit.

In summary, I think everyone should be trained in CPR, so that we would not
have so many "lay persons". However, it is important to make certain that
someone is REALLY not breathing before you force yourself on them. :-)
As usual, the above comments are not meant as medical advice, and do not
represent the opinion of anybody but myself.
-- 
-=> Avi E. Gross @ AT&T Information Systems Laboratories (201) 576-6241
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