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View Full Version : CPR/heart attack - treating yourself.



Swoop
23rd April 2008, 13:40
Let's say it's 6.15pm and you're riding home (alone of course) after an unusually hard day on the job.
You're really tired, and frustrated……

You are really stressed and upset ….

Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw.
You are only five miles from the hospital nearest your home.
Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far.

WHAT TO DO?

You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that conducted the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself!

Answer:
Do not panic, but start coughing repeatedly and very vigorously.

A deep breath should be taken before each cough, the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest.

A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.

Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.

ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN N.º 240 OF JOURNAL OF GENERAL HOSPITAL ROCHESTER

Mikkel
23rd April 2008, 14:04
Nice! I hope I shall never have to use it, but that goes for all CPR I suppose.


A deep breath should be taken before each cough, the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest.

Just one question - how do you make a prolonged cough?

Oh another one - do you get off the motorcycle or do you keep riding? :HTFU: <---We need a HTFU smiley.

jimbo600
23rd April 2008, 14:24
I would use the defibrillator that is standard fitout to my Aston Martin

sels1
23rd April 2008, 14:32
Do not panic, but start coughing repeatedly and very vigorously.

While dialing 111 on your cellphone

(unless you're Jimbo of course :lol:)

firefighter
23rd April 2008, 14:36
wow iv'e never heard of that one! awesome post!

Edbear
23rd April 2008, 14:50
Thanks for that! Bling given!

WRT
23rd April 2008, 16:50
Read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cough_CPR

Before you try it though.

Swoop
23rd April 2008, 19:39
I had pondered this a while back, but it is information that is not given out at any training course that I know of.
A friend of the family died of a heart attack, at age 39, a few weeks ago.


Just one question - how do you make a prolonged cough?
Oh another one - do you get off the motorcycle or do you keep riding?
With the chesty cough that I currently have, I can demonstrate a prolonged cough quite well (unfortunately).
I would stay on the bike and keep going to the nearest aid. If you are going to kick the bucket, it might as well be on the bike.


Edit for Skunk. If by myself, I would rather have the knowledge of how to do "something", rather than just lay there and die.

Skunk
23rd April 2008, 20:33
If it's not a full on heart attack you'll probably kill yourself. Remember that...

swedencamilla
13th August 2008, 12:22
The cough CPR is only useful briefly in an arrest situation and could be bad in other situations. You would be much better off chewing an aspirin from your pocket and calling an ambulance from your cell phone. Even if you are happy to take the risk of having an accident on your way to the hospital, the same does not apply to other people on the road that might crash into you.

Pwalo
13th August 2008, 14:45
My job requires that I do a CPR and general medical refresher every six months. I seriously suggest that you'd park your bike, get your helmet off, and flag down the nearest motorist.

Good luck with the rest of it.