We're Not Doctors But We're Here To Help You

While other editors got it right the editors at TIME magazine didn't quite get it right. We felt that if you can walk away from any health advice then that's good advice. In this case its not what you can do for yourself its what you can do for someone else. This Sunday this editor's wife observed someone who passed out in church. Her concern was that the person was no longer with us and that enough wasn't done to aid them. The news articles and research indicates that something is always better than nothing.

"The Case Against Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation - The study measured survival by hospital discharge: 13% heart patients who received chest-only compressions were discharged from the hospital, compared with 7.8% of those who received conventional CPR. Of those who received no resuscitation whatsoever, only 5.2% left the hospital, showing that whether you do mouth-to-mouth or not, doing something is better than doing nothing." - TIME (Healthland)

When you go to the source of the most current research even they don't give the source of their information though we're certain that it's just a matter of math. You know the kind from your school days where A is to B as B is to C. For instance Arizona Health Science Center said:

"Every three (3) days, more Americans die from sudden cardiac arrest than the number who died in the 9-11 attacks. " - The Arizona Health Sciences Center (AHSC) 

That's not what the headline would indicate in the TIME article. We've got some experience, as should anyone with a loved one, with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. What we learned and were told is that we should first do no harm and we're taught how and when giving aid - to do no harm. We were told that the first few minutes were crucial to the individuals survival.

"You can lessen this recurring loss by learning this hands-only CPR method that doubles a person’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest. Watch physician researchers Gordon A. Ewy, MD, and Karl Kern, MD, demonstrate the easy, life-saving method that they developed at the University of Arizona College of Medicine." - The Arizona Health Sciences Center (AHSC) 

Change is a good thing but if you're unwilling to take a chance on this non-mouth to mouth method you can always become certified by the American Red Cross who still teaches the old fashion cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) just like we did. However we're going to make the switch. Better is better to us and it's less to remember, not as intimate nor as personal.

"Prepare for Emergencies with American Red Cross First Aid, CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Courses - American Red Cross first aid, CPR and AED programs are designed to give you the confidence to respond in an emergency situation with skills that can save a life. Additional training in bloodborne pathogens, oxygen administration and injury prevention can be added to CPR and first aid training to prepare you to prevent and respond to life-threatening emergencies." - American Red Cross (Taking A Class) 

There are a lot of statistics given about the risk of heart disease or heart attacks without sufficient indication of what specific research, by whom and what was used to get these numbers. If we're certain of one thing its that things change.

"Less than eight percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive." - American Heart Association (AHA) 

What's true today, if you make a change those same things, won't be true tomorrow. If you've not made any changes then yes what was true yesterday can be true today. To be honest, even if you make changes what was true yesterday can still be true today. If you make a change then its not unusual to see a change reflected but nothing is guaranteed.

"Heart Attack Risk Assessment - It's essential that you measure your risk of heart disease and make a plan for how to prevent it in the near future. Use this tool to help you assess your risk of having a heart attack or dying from coronary heart disease in the next 10 years. It will also check to see if you may have metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that greatly increase your chances of developing cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes. This Risk Assessment can be use by people age 20 or older who do not already have heart disease or diabetes." - American Heart Association (AHA) 

This tool might not change anything for you but like Continuous Chest Compression CPR - when you're in need sometimes a little can mean a lot. It can save a life and if you see a situation we hope you'll have the proper instructions. At the very least you'll view what you can - and do no harm.

The parishioner survived, did not suffer a stroke or heart attack but tests are still being performed. His condition is stable.