RESUSCITATION – EXTERNAL CARDIAC MASSAGE
Make sure the heart has stopped before doing this. The pressure you exert on a patient’s chest — adult or child — may do damage. Some doctors think that external cardiac massage should only be done by someone trained in its procedure. However, YOU may have to use it in an emergency.
In a child, the most common causes for a cardiac arrest are drowning, electrocution and suffocation. In an adult, a heart attack is probably the most common. It may also result from poisoning or from gassing.
The signs of cardiac arrest are: loss of consciousness; the patient has gone blue or is pale; there is no pulse; the breathing has stopped or there may be some gasps for a while; the pupils of the eyes dilate and do not respond to light.
The heart is a pump, pumping blood to all the tissues in the body. The aim of treatment is to start this pump again by compressing the heart between the breastbone and the backbone.
Lie the patient on a hard, flat surface. Kneel at the side of his chest; tilt the head back to open the airway.
For an adult, place the heel of the hand on the lower part of the breastbone, or sternum, and cover it with the other hand. Rock forward and press down firmly on the breastbone — not on the ribs. The chest wall in an adult should move 2Óã-5 centimetres (1-2 inches).
Do it gently the first few times to assess the resistance of the chest wall. For an adult, keep it up at the rate of 60 a minute. For a child, use only one hand (two fingers for an infant), but increase the rate to 90 a minute. If someone else is present, get them to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at the same time as you do cardiac massage. One breath to every five pushes on the chest. If you are alone, you will need to do both actions yourself. Two breaths for every 15 pushes on the chest.
Check to see whether your work has any effect. The pulses will return, the color will improve and the pupils of the eyes will constrict.
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