CPR is not perfect, but it beats nothing as an option

If you see the same event portrayed over and over on television, the natural tendency is to believe what you see repeated is as simple as it seems.

As a nurse and teacher of health safety, I’ve believed for many years that learning how to do Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) makes so much sense for all adults that the question hardly even needs to be asked.

It saves lives. It might save your child from drowning if you know how to do it property. 
So if you ever wondered if the investment in a professionally trained CPR class is worth it, don’t ever doubt it. Of course it is.

But there’s a second question that constant television repetition reinforces that’s worth a second look.

Very few news stories or even theatrical descriptions of CPR events include much indication that it doesn’t work. That it doesn’t actually save the life in question. In fact, I think there’s not much reason for a cable news story about a potential drowning or fatal heart attack that wasn’t diverted from tragedy because a bystander had CPR expertise.

Viewers might not be as interested in heroism if the victim isn’t saved. We want successes for inspiration; not failures. For example, would Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger be the national spokesman for heroism if everyone aboard the airliner he landed in the Hudson River had died?
So the question is this. How often does a civilian (that’s not a professional paramedic or 911 responder) save a life by using CPR?

The University of Maryland School of Medicine did a study with thousands of cases and found that CPR survival rate is about 10 percent. Which means that 90 percent of those who receive CPR don’t make it.
What does work much more effectively is direct and quick intervention by paramedics who use electrical stimulation.

When someone has sudden cardiac arrest, the heart goes to an irregular rhythm called ventricular fibrillation, which is fatal unless an electric shock is administered. CPR doesn't stop this. In reality CPR is a stopgap. The patient buys some time while proper medical care and machinery arrive.

As for CPR, doing something is always better than doing nothing and you never know how close help is. So take the class because those who merely think they know how and when to apply CPR can be dangerous, too.

Who am I, and why would a person listen to me? Both fair questions. I’m Christine Hammerlund and I’ve been a nurse for years. I have delivered babies, saved lives, and cared for hundreds of patients through their medical triumphs and tragedies. Now I run Assured Healthcare at http://www.assuredhealthcare.com. We're a multi-million dollar medical staff provider in Illinois. I live in Antioch, Ill. Got health questions for me, whether large or small? I’ll answer. Visit us at http://www.facebook.com/AssuredHealthcareStaffing  and Chrishammerlund@yahoo.com