| Cứu Thương - part 1, page 5 | ||
| The
'CHAIN OF SURVIVAL' Sudden cardiac arrest is the unexpected collapse of a casualty whose heart has ceased to function. Cardiac arrest occurs suddenly and is closely linked with sudden chest pain. In fact cardiac arrest is still the major single killer of people in Australia, and the casualty in cardiac arrest has only minutes from collapse until death is inevitable. Successful resuscitation of such a casualty depends on quick decisive action taken in sequence like the links in a chain. The `Chain of Survival' is the term applied to a series of actions which can be instrumental in resuscitating a casualty in cardiac arrest. While each link or individual action in the chain is unlikely on its own to revive a casualty, all of them used effectively together will provide the best chance for a successful outcome. `The `Chain of Survival' is a description of the steps or links in the medical treatment needed to successfully save the life of a cardiac arrest patient. You, as the first aider, are responsible for the most important links in this `Chain of Survival'. Without your quick action the casualty has little chance of survival no matter how good the paramedics or doctors are. |
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| · Call first - Call fast. Get to the cardiac arrest casualty quickly and call for an ambulance or other medical assistance. You need professional help as soon as possible. Probably the most important first aid action is early CPR performed by a trained rescuer on a casualty who is in cardiac arrest. After getting help start CPR immediately and continue it until the ambulance arrives. The Chain of Survival provides you with a clear guide to the steps you must take if the casualty is to have a chance of survival. This is where the ambulance crew or other specially trained first aiders apply an external electric shock to the casualty's heart using a device called a defibrillator. It is this link which usually has the most dramatic and positive effect, however it is useless if the first two links have not been initiated. Sometimes called `ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support'. This action is taken by ambulance paramedics or doctors who administer specific drugs to the casualty which stimulates the casualty's heart. The Chain of Survival is dramatically improved by the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) within the first 8-10 minutes of the cardiac arrest - provided that all links have been acted upon! |
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| Automated
External Defibrillation is the emergency procedure where specially
trained first aiders apply an electronic device to the chest of
a cardiac arrest casualty, and the device automatically delivers
a controlled electric shock to the casualty's heart. In most instances of sudden cardiac arrest, the casualty's heart has ceased to function normally and is fibrillating or `quivering' uselessly. While this is happening, the heart is not pumping, so no oxygenated blood is reaching the brain. Application of an AED to the casualty's chest delivers controlled shocks to the heart, causing the fibrillation to cease and allows the heart to either start functioning spontaneously, or provides a basis for effective CPR and medication to restart the heart. As discussed previously, defibrillation is an important link in the Chain of Survival, and statistically, a casualty's chances of successful resuscitation are improved dramatically by the first aid use of AEDs. First aiders should be aware that defibrillators, whether AEDs or the more sophisticated types, only revert certain cardiac conditions, and there are cardiac arrest casualties who will not respond to electric shocks. |
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