How to help someone who might be suffering a heart attack
DORAL - The heartbreaking collapse of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin after suffering cardiac arrest during a game on Monday night has sounded the alarm for people across the world.
What would you do if you if your young athlete, or someone who is engaging in rigorous physical activity, passes out and suffers the same fate? Here are some quick tips from Miami Dade Fire Rescue:
1. Act Immediately
2. Call 911
3. Attempt to get the person's attention and check pulse
4. If unsuccessful, start hands-only CPR and continue until professional help arrives
5. Use an automated external defibrillator (AED) if accessible
You may have been taught to blow breath into someone who needs CPR, but now you only need to use your hands.
"We have about 6-8 minutes of residual oxygen within our bodies that we can keep circulating by doing the hands only CPR," said Captain Alex Lozano of the EMS division of Miami Dade Fire Rescue.
To initiate CPR you want to place a palm in the center of the breast bone, interlock your hands, and begin compressions. After that, you're going to want to start compressing hard and fast about 2 – 2.4 inches deep into the chest. To keep a proper rhythm you can sing the 1977 tune by the Bee Gees, "Stayin Alive."
Captain Lozano advises people not to be concerned about breaking bones while doing CPR. He says you might hear a cracking sound when performing chest compressions, but that's just cartilage.
He explains that chest compressions can save someone's brain activity and their life.
In South Florida heat is something we deal with often. Lozano advises if you come across someone who has collapsed from doing rigorous outdoor activities or even an athlete, to cool them down in addition to performing CPR, if they don't have a pulse.
