Critical need for CPR training

ONE morning at the courthouse, I heard shouting and screaming.

An elderly man had collapsed inside the courthouse compound.

It was clear that he had suffered sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), where the heart abruptly stops pumping blood, causing a person to collapse without warning.

If cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), is not done within three minutes, the brain starts to suffer injury.

The chest must be pushed down by at least 5cm to reach the heart and make it pump.

Between 100 and 120 chest compressions a minute must be performed while allowing the chest to bounce back up each time.

Pauses must be minimised as stopping is worse than imperfect chest compressions.

I had CPR training eight years ago. Watching it being performed to save this elderly man at the courthouse made me realise how crucial it was to have this skill when someone’s life is on the line.

Three people took turns performing CPR on the man.

Their shirts were drenched, sweat could be seen dripping from their faces, in the 10am heat.

Lawyer V. Amareson, who was the first to start the CPR, told me that even hours later, he was exhausted from the effort.

“We had to take turns as we needed breaks to catch our breath.”

The Star photographer Zhafaran Nasib ran around the courthouse in search of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), but there were none.

On a hunch, he bolted across the road to St George’s Church and found one but by then, 30 minutes had passed and the ambulance had thankfully arrived.

The paramedics took over, which was a blessing because the men performing CPR were exhausted.

The man regained consciousness and was sent to the hospital.

To give you an idea of how rapidly the chest compressions need to be performed, I was trained to pump in time with the Bee Gees’ hit Staying Alive.

During training, we were told that the force we exert on an SCA victim’s chest will likely crack ribs but these ribs will heal.

I am petite and frankly, I doubt I could effectively perform CPR on a large man.

Now that I’ve seen how CPR must be done by a few people, I realise that it is vital that as many people as possible learn to do CPR so that more can step up in the event of an emergency.

The courthouse guards told me that they only had a basic first aid kit. I call that an “illusion of preparedness”.

In Penang, public and private establishments are encouraged to have an AED, and there are over 400 locations with one in the state.

It saddened me that the courthouse did not have one.

I interviewed a woman who attended a CPR training event.

“I have had relatives who died of SCA, so it is best to be prepared,” she said.

Penang Heart Safe Society Datuk Dr Luah Lean Wah said strenuous exercise was not the only cause of SCA.

“Even someone singing karaoke can have SCA. This can come about without any signs of heart-related ailments.”

Dr Luah said that when someone experiences ventricular fibrillation, a type of irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia), it was crucial to have an AED as CPR alone would not be enough.

“You need to shock and stun the heart with an AED, which is made specifically for laymen to use.”

This made me realise the importance of learning how to perform CPR and use the AED.

Many organisations in Penang offer such training during events, while trainers are available for company programmes.

I have decided to find a refresher course on CPR and AED training.

I hope you do too.