In case of an emergency, how should I perform CPR?

"Quick, the patient has lost consciousness and his breathing and heart have stopped for more than 10 minutes!"... Such a thrilling scene happened in Quanzhou, Fujian not long ago. Mr. Chen, who was in his 50s, suddenly felt chest tightness and discomfort while swimming. Unexpectedly, after getting ashore, he fainted instantly and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Hot and cold alternating tour

Man suffers respiratory and cardiac arrest

On the afternoon of the day of the incident, Mr. Chen was exercising in the indoor swimming pool. After swimming in the normal temperature pool, he jumped into the cold water pool.

Unexpectedly, when he returned to the shore, he fainted and did not respond. After the on-site personnel found him, they immediately performed CPR on him and called 120 emergency number at the same time.

After admission to the hospital, the emergency doctor quickly evaluated Mr. Chen and all signs indicated that he had respiratory and cardiac arrest and had no vital signs.

After 10 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Mr. Chen successfully recovered his spontaneous circulation and respiratory function. Later, according to the corresponding examination results, the doctor performed aortic balloon counterpulsation and coronary intervention on him.

The doctor said that Mr. Chen's cardiac arrest was caused by acute myocardial infarction. Alternating between normal temperature water and cold water pools, blood vessels cannot withstand the changes of hot and cold, and Mr. Chen had chest tightness before, so he did not pay enough attention to it, which led to the disaster.

The warming of spring has caused many elderly people who pay attention to cardiovascular care in autumn and winter to relax their vigilance. Mr. Chen in the article took his chest tightness symptoms lightly. In fact, when winter and spring come together, the sympathetic nerves are stimulated by cold, causing the blood vessels of the human body to contract sharply. When the temperature rises, the blood vessels will dilate again. Such alternating cold and hot weather can easily lead to repeated contraction and expansion of blood vessels, increase the cardiovascular load and make blood pressure unstable, thus causing coronary heart disease, hypertension and even acute myocardial infarction.

It is important to learn to recognize "signals"

Frequent palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest tightness; frequent chest tightness and discomfort when sleeping, and inability to lie flat; chest tightness, and occasional stabbing pain; faster heartbeat and obvious discomfort in the chest when excited; chest tightness, shortness of breath, and faster heartbeat when walking for a long time or at a fast speed.

⚠️A "signal" will be issued 1 hour before cardiac arrest:

When the above symptoms become more and more severe, you may suddenly lose consciousness, such as fainting, whole body convulsions or persistent loss of consciousness. This is the last chance to prevent cardiac arrest, so be sure to go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

How to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an important means of rescuing patients with cardiac arrest. If someone suddenly falls to the ground and is judged to be not breathing and unconscious, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be performed immediately. The more timely the rescue, the higher the success rate.

1. First, assess whether the surrounding environment is safe, and designate one person to call 120 and one person to find an AED (automated external defibrillator);

2. Observe the patient's chest rise and fall. If it is determined that the patient has cardiac arrest, perform chest compressions immediately;

3. Determine the pressing position, cross your hands, stretch your arms, and use the strength of your upper body to press vertically downward 30 times;

4. After 30 chest compressions, perform 2 artificial respirations, using your peripheral vision to observe the chest while blowing to confirm that the operation is effective;

5. Repeat the procedure in a 30:2 ratio (30 chest compressions, 2 artificial respirations) until professional rescuers and equipment arrive.

How is an AED used?

Winter and Spring

Please check the "Heart Protection Treasure"

▲Don’t neglect keeping your neck warm

Carotid artery stenosis and plaques are one of the causes of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases that are receiving more and more attention.

When the neck is cold, the carotid artery will contract sharply. If the plaque in the carotid artery is stimulated and caused to fall off, it may cause cerebral infarction or myocardial infarction. Therefore, it is important to keep warm in winter and spring, especially in the neck.

▲Morning exercise is good but should be done in moderation

Proper exercise is good for health. Many people like to do morning exercises, but patients with hypertension (especially elderly patients) generally have higher blood pressure in the morning, so it is not advisable to do morning exercises too early.

▲The best time for morning exercise

Depends on the season: 6-7 o'clock in summer and autumn; 8-9 o'clock in winter and spring.

Watch the sunrise: The carbon dioxide concentration in the air is high before sunrise. Morning exercises at this time will have an impact on the cardiovascular system. It is recommended to do morning exercises just after sunrise.

Consider the surrounding environment: Do not do morning exercises in foggy, rainy or snowy days.

▲Lie down for a while before getting up

After waking up in the early morning, patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases can lie in bed for a while before getting up to avoid attacks of angina pectoris, stroke, etc.

▲It is important to keep blood pressure stable

The high incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in winter is related to sudden fluctuations in blood pressure. Therefore, people with a history of hypertension should monitor their blood pressure regularly. It is crucial to keep blood pressure stable and prevent fluctuations.

▲Don’t forget to drink water even if you are not thirsty

In a day, adults should drink 35-40 ml of water per kilogram of body weight. Drinking water appropriately can dilute the blood. The water temperature should be moderate to avoid irritating the stomach and intestines due to excessive cold or heat, which can cause vasoconstriction.

▲Scientific tonic and appropriate amount

It is recommended that patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases eat low-salt, low-fat, and low-sugar tonic food, eat more vegetables and less meat, eat coarse and whole grains in moderation, eat more foods that are easily digestible and rich in nutrients, eat less fatty meat, animal offal, and cream, and do not drink alcohol, smoke, drink cold water, or eat cold food in large quantities.

Keke reminds: It is advisable to "cover up in spring" when the weather is getting warmer and colder. Middle-aged and elderly people should pay special attention to keeping warm, stabilizing blood pressure, and avoiding exercise that causes sudden changes in temperature. If symptoms such as chest tightness and chest pain occur, don't be "careless" and seek medical attention as soon as possible to prevent accidents.