We depend on each other…

What is the greatest possible thing that could happen to you today? Is it winning a million dollars? Seeing your children smile? Going to a job you love? Perhaps it is waking up next to a spouse whom you love and is also your best friend? These are all winners, for sure. But what if you actually saved another person’s life? No, not figuratively, but really. Imagine: another person just up and dies in front of you, and you take decisive action to save her. And she lives. I can testify that truly saving a life is indeed a life-changer. You never forget. The scenario of out of hospital cardiac arrest is not an uncommon one. Heart disease is the number one killer of people in the Western world, and sudden death from cardiac arrest is the leading way people die from heart disease. Most people who suffer cardiac arrest have had no prior warning of heart disease. That’s right; you just amble on as a normal day and then fall over into nothingness. Here is where we depend on each other. The only chance a person who suffers cardiac arrest has is immediate and decisive action from a fellow human: calling 911, effective bystander CPR and then prompt defibrillation. My medium-sized American city, Louisville, Kentucky, has a dismal survival rate from cardiac arrest. If you die suddenly here, there is a greater than 90% chance you will not survive. Contrast this with Seattle WA or Rochester MN, which both boast survival rates of 50%. What’s the difference? It’s about community aware...
Source: Dr John M - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: blogs