Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops pumping. If this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. Cardiac arrests are caused by certain types of arrhythmias that prevent the heart from pumping blood.
Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency. Cardiac arrest is a public health issue with widespread incidence and severe impact on human health and well-being.
Calling emergency services such as 999 or 112 in the UK, or 911 in the US should be done straight away. Further to that, it is important to immediately treat the casualty with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation can save the life of a person in cardiac arrest. A defibrillator is a device that sends an electric shock to the heart to try to restore its normal rhythm. Most people who have a cardiac arrest do not receive treatment quickly enough to survive.
Early, high-quality CPR, including compression only CPR particularly in cases were a defibrillator may not be immediately available is an important factor in saving a person’s life. This is the main reason I have created Easy CPR. The app is available for iOS and macOS here.
Easy CPR uses audiovisual cues to deliver consistent compressions during CPR.
The user can chose the BPM rate in the recommended range of 100-120 beats per minutes and can select the type of audiovisual cues desired, namely beeps and/or voice counts. All you need to do is tap the heart or the start button and you will be presented with a countdown to get ready.
The cues provided include a beep sound and voice counts from 1 to 4 , and counts cycles of 30 compressions as recommended by NHS England.
Instructions
- Interlock your fingers with one hand on top of the other hand
- Keep your elbows locked and make sure your shoulders are directly over the top of the casualty’s chest. Use your body weight to push down using the heal of your hand.
- Using two hands in the centre of the chest apply compressions repeatedly. Use the audiovisual cues in the app for timing. Push at least one third of the chest depth.
CPR with Rescue Breaths
If the user selects the option for medical breaths the app will count a cycle of 30 compressions and will stop, while prompting the user to provide rescue breaths.
- Give 30 chest compressions
- Give 2 rescue breaths. Tilt the head back and lift the chin. Pinch the nose and give 2 breaths.
- Restart the counter and repeat until help arrives.