CPR stories?
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I am a CPR instructor and have been for years. I also teach several other courses in basic and advanced life support and work as an emergency nurse. I agree with the other comments...CPR is easy to learn and there is no reason why everyone can't do so. Even my grandmother had a valid CPR card right up to the time that she became bed bound. I find it amazing how, with the ready availability of inexpensive or free courses that so many do not avail themselves of this valuable tool. I could go on and on about this. My personal belief is that everyone, in order to get a driver's license or state ID card, should have to successfully complete an approved first aid and CPR course unless they can provide a physician's waiver. The material is not that difficult to master...and if they cannot master it, then why trust them to be behind the wheel?
Despite my ramblings, you asked for stories, here are a few that I have:
Code Blue is announced over head in a hospital where I was working. I rushed from the emergency department on the first floor to the third floor, where the patient was. There, I found the patient in bed, in cardiac arrest. One nurse was doing something with the IVs, one was attaching the patient to the monitor, another was about to start rescuing breathing with a bag valve mask. No one was doing CPR, not even the nursing assistants standing in the the corners of the room. They all got chewed out.
I was working in EMS, before becoming an RN. I respond to a CPR in progress. I arrive to find the patient awake, complaining of chest pain, and asking what is going on. I ask the family what was going on. They report that the patient went to sleep at 10pm, after eating. At 2am someone was walking past his bed room door and noticed that he was "unresponsive." They called 911 and began CPR, awakening the man who now complained of chest pains.
On another EMS call, we responded to a CPR in progress. The family saw the patient collapse and began CPR and continued effective CPR until we got there...15-20 minutes after the call (it was in a rural area). We took over and quickly revived the patient with advanced life support measures. By the time that we got to the hospital, she was awake and talking to us.
Recently a paramedic brought in an adult patient who initially had difficulty breathing. The medic did not start a line or establish an advanced airway, only applied an oxygen mask to this patient who reportedly was not breathing adequately alone. The patient stopped breathing and when into cardiac arrest soon after the paramedic started off to the hospital. The medic began rescue breathing and ineffective compressions--she continued them into the emergency department where I saw her do it with her arms bent, giving slow/shallow compressions. Once we took over and began delivering appropriate/effective CPR the patient almost immediately had a return of spontaneous circulation. However, since she had gone without effective oxygention and circulation for several minutes she was essentially brain dead and died shortly in the ICU a few days later. We reported the medic to her service, without apparent affect. This is one of the few instances where I do hope that the family does sue.
I took care of a woman once who had collapsed in the waiting area of another emergency department. The immediately began CPR, along with other advanced measures, and continued it for 2 hours. The doctor even inserted a balloon and stent into her heart, while they were doing CPR, after they realized that she was having a heart attack. The woman survived and walked out of the hospital.
Other Answers:
yeah tell me about it... I am an EMT and I truly do not get it why ppl do not learn it. It is essential. Do unto others as they shall do unto you... i mean hey come on out there!!!
Freshmen year in high school, health class. Learning CPR. 3 tests you must pass to certify. One test a day. I complete two easily on the first two days. On the third day, I am sick at home with terrible head cold from someone who used the dummy before me. Not my fault I didn't certify. it was the dummy who used the dummy.
I offered to teach a church group CPR,they said no thanks.When I asked why,they replied " you are always here and you know it ".
Isn't that ridicules !
Everyone should know CPR.
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