Emergency 911

Last week my brother-in-law had surgery on his knee for a blown out ACL. After the surgery a mistake was made and his oxygen was cut off while he was sedated. Because his lungs were still trying to get oxygen, it created a vacuum and pulled fluid into his lungs. Basically he almost died. If he wasn't so dang healthy (running marathons at 41), and if he had smoked, he surely would have died or at best become a vegetable. After it was all over, they sent him home(!)--and told my sister to monitor him for 48 hours. She got instructions to have him breathe deeply if his lips turned gray--if it didn't improve she would need to perform CPR and call paramedics(they live 20 minutes away from the hospital).

While driving on the 202 freeway yesterday, I noticed a huge fire just to the north. A group of 3 palm trees and shrubbery had caught fire and were blazing pretty high. I called 911 to report it, since there were no emergency vehicles in the area. I don't think I've ever called for an emergency, so I didn't know what to expect. I certainly didn't expect to wait for almost 4 1/2 minutes on hold before speaking with an operator.

This morning I woke up to fire engine and police car sirens driving to the house across the street.It all got me thinking. Am I prepared for an emergency? Cause if I had to perform CPR or needed some life saving measures, a 5 minute dispatch time plus 7 minutes for response could leave some one dead.

Did you know that CPR guidelines changed this year?

Hands-only CPR

The American Heart Association says bystanders who witness an adult's sudden cardiac arrest can opt to perform hands-only CPR and skip mouth-to-mouth breathing. If someone collapses, stops normal breathing and is unresponsive to shaking:

-First, have someone call 911, or call yourself.

-Put the victim on the floor, face up.

-Put one hand on top of the other in the middle of the victim's chest.

-Push hard and fast, 100 presses a minute.

-If there's another bystander, take turns.

-Continue until paramedics take over.

-Use an automated external defibrillator if available.

*Children and drowning victims still need mouth-to-mouth.

Roger and I are going to renew our CPR certification. Join us!

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