Cough CPR, and the reason this is not taught in First Aid.

Although the internet and social media sites are good for sharing information, often information is shared (with good intention) which could cause more harm than good.

I have seen articles which claim to tell you how to carry out CPR (cough CPR) on yourself, but the truth is if you are having a heart attack you do not require CPR, if you are in cardiac arrest, you are likely to be incapable of giving yourself CPR.

Let me explain why this is the case.

Many people do not understand the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest, and although a heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest, they are not the same.

Someone who is having a heart attack has a interruption in the blood flow to part of the heart muscle, this is likely to cause chest pains and damage to the heart, but the heart is still pumping blood around the body and the person is still conscious and breathing.

On the other hand, someone going into cardiac arrest means their heart has stop pumping, they will lose consciousness quickly and will stop breathing or at least breathing normally. Unless treated by CPR immediately, this will lead to death within minutes.

Put in layman* terms.

Heart Attack = Interruption in the flow of blood to the heart.

Cardiac Arrest = Interruption in the beat of the heart

Both of these conditions are life threatening conditions which require urgent medical assistance.

So what do you do if you suspect you’re having a heart attack?

Dial 999 and then the good old fashioned aspirin; chew it and swallow as quickly as possible and sit quietly and calmly. Heart attacks, as said above, are cause by an interruption in the flow of blood to the heart, often a clot or a narrowed vein, by relaxing you will slow the heart down thereby reducing the amount of blood it requires, the aspirin will thin the blood to make it easier to pass the blockage.

Cough CPR is not recommended and can prove fatal.

A quote from Dr Richard O Cummins

“Dr. Richard O. Cummins, Seattle’s director of emergency cardiac care, explains that cough CPR raises the pressure in the chest just enough to maintain some circulation of oxygen-containing blood and help enough get to the brain to maintain consciousness for a prolonged period. But cough CPR should be used only by a person about to lose consciousness, an indication of cardiac arrest, he cautions.

It can be dangerous for someone having a heart attack that does not result in cardiac arrest. Such a person should call for help and then sit quietly until help arrives, he says. In other words, the procedure might be the right thing to attempt or it might be the very thing that would kill the afflicted depending on which sort of cardiac crisis is being experienced. Without a doctor there to judge the situation and, if cough CPR is indicated, to supervise the rhythmic coughing, the procedure is just far too risky for a layman* to attempt.”

So you see from this quote, that although there is a possibility that cough CPR could delay a person going into cardiac arrest, there is also a high chance that if done wrong or at the wrong time, the procedure itself could be the very thing that causes cardiac arrest.

Cough CPR is not something that doctors practice unless there is absolutely no other alternative.

Standard training for a GP is a 5 year degree, 2 foundation years, then 3 years vocational training before becoming fully qualified, specialists on the other hand may have to do additional years.

Compare that to a First Aid trained person, who is often referred to as a layman* and has usually received between 1 and 3 days training.

Anyone interested in learning First Aid can contact Safa Training for advice.

*Someone who is not trained to a high or professional standard in a particular subject.