Chest compressions 'help cardiac arrest victims'
Individuals who suffer a cardiac arrest should be given CPR immediately and individuals helping should not be worried if the victim gasps for air as this an indication that they are still alive, according to a new report.
A study on cardiac arrest victims has been published online in the November 24th edition of Circulation.
It stated that individuals who gasp while being given CPR after suffering a heart attack have a greater chance for survival than those who do not.
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Gordon Ewy MD, corresponding author of the study, professor and chief of cardiology at the University of Arizona and director of its Sarver Heart Centre, commented: "Gasping is an indication that the brain is still alive and it tells you that if you start and continue uninterrupted chest compressions, the person has a high chance of surviving.
"We need people to promptly recognise sudden cardiac arrest . . . and to start chest compressions right away."
According to the American Heart Association, the symptoms of cardiac arrest include a sudden loss of responsiveness and failure to breath normally in a victim - spasmodic breaths when the head is tilted back for example.
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