derwoodwithasherwood
Contributor
I came across the following on the internet. Unfortunately, as with many such things, it was attributed merely to a "prominent cardiologist" without identifying said doctor.
Turns out there really is a doctor involved with this: Dr. Tadeusz Petelenz of the Silesian Medical Academy in Katowice Province of Poland. However his work, while interesting, is controversial. And he may or may not be a cardiologist. Here is the gist of his procedure:
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE -
Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and 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.
There is some controversy surrounding this. The article at snopes.com suggests coughing could kill unless the victim is about to pass out. It suggests that in most times the best approach is chewing an aspirin while waiting quietly for an ambulance to arrive.
Since Aspirin gets all soggy underwater, I'm curious to hear from some diving doctors. Could this 'cough CPR' be a valid self-rescue technique while ascending for help?
Turns out there really is a doctor involved with this: Dr. Tadeusz Petelenz of the Silesian Medical Academy in Katowice Province of Poland. However his work, while interesting, is controversial. And he may or may not be a cardiologist. Here is the gist of his procedure:
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE -
Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and 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.
There is some controversy surrounding this. The article at snopes.com suggests coughing could kill unless the victim is about to pass out. It suggests that in most times the best approach is chewing an aspirin while waiting quietly for an ambulance to arrive.
Since Aspirin gets all soggy underwater, I'm curious to hear from some diving doctors. Could this 'cough CPR' be a valid self-rescue technique while ascending for help?
