Cardiac arrest, how to save lives ? – Health Mission
While the Quebec authorities intend to install a defibrillator in all high schools next fall, in France the installation of defibrillators in public places is becoming more and more widespread. This device is accessible to all (the law allows any citizen to use a defibrillator) and is very easy to use. And for good reason, it can save lives ! In France, 50 000 people die prematurely from a cardiac arrest and 7 times out of 10, they occur in front of a witness.
Close-up on an essential device in case of cardiac arrest, but also and above all, on life-saving gestures.
Defibrillator: recognizing cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is caused by a heart rhythm disorder called “ventricular fibrillation” . The victim then loses consciousness, falls and does not react to various stimulations. Because the heart is no longer working or is not working properly, the victim is not breathing or the movements are slow, noisy and uncontrolled. And because it can happen suddenly, it is better to call the emergency services, perform a cardiac massage and then use a defibrillator at the hospital’image of the defibrillator available on the website www.defibril.en.
Defibrillator: learn the life-saving gestures
Action 1: Alert
The first thing is to place the victim in a safe area. Then, as previously mentioned, it is necessary to alert the emergency services (by dialing 15) to give the alert. You should then describe the scene and the victim’s condition in the most exhaustive way possible.
It is better not to forget to give the address and all the precise information where the victim is. In all cases, the operator will ask the necessary questions to take care of the victim and above all, it is imperative not to hang up until the EMS operator specifies it.
Step 2: massage
To massage the victim’s heart, he/she must lie on his/her back. Once you are on your knees, placed next to the victim, you must Position the hands one on top of the other, at the best of the thorax, with the arms well stretched. Well above, it is then necessary to press on it in apply pressure at a regular rate, 2 per second.
At the same time, you must also give breaths at a rate of 2 breaths every 30 compressions.
Action 3 : Defibrillate
When’a person is a victim of’a cardiac arrest, after these two first gestures, the heart must be revived by an electric shock delivered by a defibrillator. The automated external defibrillator will then analyze the heart’s electrical activity’the electrical activity of the victim’s heart, recognize the abnormality in the heart’origin of the’In case of cardiac arrest, deliver or ask the rescuer to deliver an electric shock to restart the heart’normal electrical activity of the heart. To do this, simplyopen the defibrillator and let yourself be guided by the vocal instructions.
Then, stick the electrodes (one under the collarbone and the other under the neck)’(e.g., other under the left breast), connect the cable and wait for the results of the analysis of the device. Then, there are two possibilities: the shock is recommended or the shock is not recommended, in this second case, it is necessary to resume the cardiac massage.
Defibrillator: take the precautions of use
It is better to take all precautions before taking the victim. The victim should not be lying on a wet floor or metal surface before starting defibrillation. It must be lying on a dry surface.
In addition, it is imperative to train in life-saving techniques by approaching the Red Cross for example.
