Health corner Be a "Star," learn CPR By James O. Chang, M.D.
My closest experience to a panic attack came less than a week after graduating from medical school. With some time between graduation and the start of my residency training, my family and I boarded a plane en route to Southern California. After all, television commercials taught me at an early age that after you accomplish something like winning the Superbowl, World Series, Stanley Cup, or NBA Championship, the thing to do is go to Disneyland. Now why should graduating from medical school be any different? As I boarded the packed airplane heading from Chicago to Los Angeles, the thought leaped into my mind: if something were to happen to someone on this flight such as a stroke, heart attack, or seizure -- as a doctor, I could be called upon to perform some life saving maneuver. Less than a week ago, I was but a mere medical student and now people refer to me as "doctor." Breaking out into a cold sweat, I prayed that another physician sat amongst our group, not just to help in case someone had an emergency, but to help me because I may soon have an emergency. But eventually, after we took to the sky, I found some comfort in knowing that I had done well in medical school and that I had been trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). CPR is not a skill reserved solely for medical professionals. With 80 percent of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happening at home while being witnessed by a family member, being trained in CPR may be the difference between life and death for a loved one. Sudden cardiac arrest is most commonly caused by a condition called ventricular fibrillation, a state in which the electrical signals of the heart become riotously disordered. This prevents the heart from adequately pumping blood to vital organs and will lead to death if nothing is done. Defibrillation, or a shock to the heart, is the best hope to reset the electrical rhythm and restart the heart. But until a defibrillator is available, CPR helps maintain blood flow to the heart and brain and increases the amount of time that an electric shock from a defibrillator can be effective. In the hospital, the saying goes, "time is tissue." This means the longer you wait to start CPR, the less likelihood the victim will become the next Ken Jennings of Jeopardy. With brain death starting at around four to six minutes, there is little time to waste. So what's the excuse to not learn CPR? Watching medical dramas on TV like ER or Scrubs does not a CPR expert make. Nor does the excuse that you will never need CPR. The fact is that about 900 Americans die every day due to sudden cardiac arrest. Then there are all the electrocutions, near-drownings, and heart attack victims who all may be in need of life saving CPR. Too busy for a four-hour long CPR course? A recent study, which the Medical College of Wisconsin took part in, showed that a 30-minute CPR self-instruction program is an effective teaching tool. Referred to as CPR Anytime, this kit by the American Heart Association (AHA) includes everything you need to be a star and learn CPR: a 22-minute DVD, resource booklet, and resuscitation mannequin all for under $30. So order your kit, call up your friends and loved ones, and throw a CPR party. While this learn-it-yourself method does not offer CPR certification, knowing how to properly perform CPR could be a life saver. For more information or to order CPR Anytime, go to cpranytime.org or call 1-877-AHA-4CPR. About the author: James Chang is a recent graduate of the Medical College of Wisconsin. He is currently a Transitional Year resident at the Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee and starting July 2008, will begin his Radiology residency at the University of Arizona in Tucson.