Resuscitation

“ One leaf in every human heart. You have known persons who were near drowning, but they were afterward resuscitated, and they have told you that in the two or three minutes between the accident and the resuscitation, all their past life flashed before them—all they had ever thought, all they had ever done, all they had ever seen, in an instant came to them. ”

“ Similarly the weak heart may be trained and improved by carefully adjusted exercise. Rhythmic compression of the thorax is the proper method of resuscitation from suffocation, for this not only aerates the lungs, but produces a circulation of blood. ”

“ Many means have, during the past century, been employed for the resuscitation of patients suffering from profuse hemorrhage and shock. The idea of injecting into the veins of the patient thus affected blood from another person or from an animal is not new, and has at times been quite successful. ”

“ Today, the person stricken with a heart attack has a much better chance of surviving the acute episode, thanks to continued improvement in diagnosis and treatment. More and more of the stricken are reaching the hospital alive, thanks to better recognition of ominous symptoms, widespread teaching of cardiopulmonary resuscitation by the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association, and better-equipped emergency vehicles with better-trained crews. ”

“ In extreme cases it might even be advisable to lie flat on the wet ground. In case of severe shock, resuscitation should be attempted through persistent artificial respiration and prevention from chill. ”

“ Its action upon the lungs is readily recognized. Its influence upon the heart is usually not so much thought of, but deserves even a more prominent place. It is now well known that when patients have gone into coma or the apneic condition that sometimes follows shock, or the administration of an anesthetic, when the heart ceases to beat, the only effectual means of resuscitation is by directly irritating the organ. It has been suggested that if the abdominal cavity is open the surgeon's hands should be passed up and should squeeze the heart through the diaphragm. ”

“ Resuscitation means the drawing forth of the spirit from the body, and its introduction into the spiritual world; this is commonly called the resurrection. The spirit is not separated from the body until the motion of the heart has ceased, for the reason that the heart corresponds to the affection of love, which is the very life of man, for it is from love that everyone has vital heat ”

“ There is a point at which the most energetic policeman or doctor, when called upon to deal with an apparently drowned person, gives up artificial respiration, although it is never possible to declare with certainty, at any point short of decomposition, that another five minutes of the exercise would not effect resuscitation. ”

“ Sometimes it produces unconsciousness without being fatal. In attempting resuscitation employ artificial respiration, and if there are any signs of life treat as directed for shock. If there are burns complicating the case, of course the burns must be treated. When there is SHOCK the patient lies in an apoplectic state, the surface pale; there is faintness, trembling, cold perspiration, low temperature, feeble pulse, and probably nausea and vomiting. Keep the patient’s head low, give aromatic ammonia, and apply heat to the extremities and to the stomach. ”

“ Operation Heartbeat is educating the public about the signs of cardiac arrest, reinforcing the importance of calling 911 immediately and promoting the benefits of knowing and administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, until advanced care can be given to restore a normal heartbeat. ”

“ Whether an individual, after hibernating in this manner for many years, could again enter on a long hibernation, is not known, but groups of individuals have been revived again and again after shorter intervals, though in diminishing numbers, some dropping out after each resuscitation. ”

“ The time required to cause death by drowning is so short that persons seldom recover after submersion for three or four minutes; but the cessation of respiration is no guide to the extinction of life, and an attempt at resuscitation should always be made, for if the respiration be fairly restored the heart will soon act. ”

“ Heart attacks sometimes cause the heart to stop pumping, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) then becomes a critical and potentially life-saving first-aid procedure. Trained individuals applying CPR can often preserve the life of a heart attack victim until proper medical care can be obtained. Tens of thousands of Americans who have had heart attacks are leading productive lives today only because someone trained in CPR quickly and effectively applied this life-saving technique. ”

“ I am convinced that a painstaking and leisurely person, who could take accurate drawings of such objects, would, in the course of a few years' rambles over Europe, acquire the means of producing almost a complete resuscitation of our mediæval ancestors in their dresses, habits, and all other external circumstances. ”

“ Thanks to scientific discoveries, those already afflicted with heart disease now have access to lifesaving therapies and procedures such as clot-dissolving drugs, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, defibrillation, and balloon angioplasty. ”

“ Should means be found hereafter to make further discoveries in regard to this interesting point, physiologists may then be able to determine with certainty those cases when interment ought to be retarded; and those where the good of society requires that every possible means of resuscitation should be employed. In the large hospital of Bologna, I made several observations on this subject; and remarked in particular, how much the nature of the disease contributes, cæteris paribus, to produce a difference in the duration of the muscular contractions. ”

“ Every day—every day—more than 600 Americans die from sudden cardiac arrest. In some cases, the cause is long-term coronary artery disease. In others, it can be triggered by intense emotional or physical stress. Either way, the heart starts beating chaotically and cannot send blood to the brain and other vital organs.
The key of survival is the speed of response. In addition to CPR, most cardiac arrest victims need an immediate electrical shock to restore the heart's normal rhythm. When victims receive that shock within a minute, there's a 90 percent chance of resuscitation. ”

“ Suffocation.—Always summon a physician. Place the patient in the air, remove all tight clothing about the neck and chest, and apply artificial respiration. Apply hot water in bottles to the body. Put mustard plasters above the heart, on the soles of his feet, and on his wrists. When the patient shows signs of recovering, give mild stimulants. If the patient is in a close room, open the windows and all of the doors. In rescue work do not open windows, but smash out all of the glass. ”

“ Everybody in which there was the slightest semblance of life was given over to the physicians, who with oxygen tanks and resuscitative movements sought to revive the heart beats. As soon as death was certain the body was drawn from the table and laid beneath, to give place to another. ”

“ Such apparent death is, according to the same high medical authority, a period of complete rest, based upon a suspension of the activity of the heart, the lungs, and all spontaneous functions, extending frequently to the sense of touch, and the intellect even. At the same time the natural heat of the body sinks until it seems to have disappeared altogether. The duration of this exceptional state is uncertain, at times the patient awakes suddenly, and in full possession of all his faculties; in other cases external means have to be employed to restore life. ”

“ Various theories have been broached, with which, no doubt, a gentleman of your intelligence and extensive information is well acquainted;—and life has been successively stated to depend upon the heart, the brain, the circulation of the blood, and the respiration of the lungs. All, however, are fallacious; the heart has been wounded, and the brain has been removed, and yet the patient has lived, whilst the operations of respiration and circulation have been kept up for hours, in a body from which the vital spirit had departed. ”

“ The violence of the paroxysm often tarns the color of the face into a livid purple, the throbbing of the heart becomes spasmodic, but, when the hopes of the sufferer are almost reduced to the supposed euthanasia of strangulation, the rigor suddenly relaxes, a deep gasp fills the lungs to their very bottom, and a few minutes after the breathing becomes quiet and regular, and only a cold perspiration reminds the patient that he has passed through the chill shadow of death. ”

“ At one time a scream, extorted by grief, proved the means of resuscitating a person who was supposed to be dead, and who had exhibited the usual recent marks of the extinction of life. In cases of catalepsy or trance, having the semblance of death, the action of the lungs and heart continues, though in a nearly imperceptible degree. By placing a cold mirror or piece of highly polished metal immediately over the mouth of the patient, symptoms of moisture will appear upon the surface if the most feeble respiration takes place. ”

“ The cessation of respiration and the absence of audible heart-beats are signs generally regarded as sufficient in themselves to determine the reality of death. But persons have been resuscitated from a state of asphyxia or have recovered from a state of catalepsy or lethargy in whom, to all appearances, the respiratory and circulatory processes have been arrested. ”

“ In the attack:—If the bleeding is extensive the patient falls suddenly into coma, and this may soon prove fatal. If the bleeding is slight at first and gradually increases, the patient is delirious at first, then one arm, then one side, and finally the whole body may become paralyzed, and unconsciousness, and even death may come from the paralysis of the heart and breathing nerve centers. In many cases the patient falls unconscious without previous warning. The face is red, the eyes injected, the lips are blue, the pulse is full and slow, and the breathing is slow and deep. ”

“ Cardiac arrest, an abnormal heart rhythm that stops the heart from effectively pumping blood through the body, usually results in death within 10 to 14 minutes. Currently, only about five percent of those who experience sudden cardiac arrest survive. ”

“ At night it is better to have them sleep in an associated dormitory with some one to watch them. If a patient is found hanging he should at once be cut down, all restriction about the neck removed and artificial respiration set up, or if drowning, the mouth and lungs should be first emptied of water; if there is hemorrhage compression should be made upon the artery, or if this is not possible, then directly upon the wound. How to control hemorrhage and do artificial respiration will be described in the chapter on emergencies. ”

“ About 95 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital. However, if treated within a few minutes, cardiac arrest can be reversed through defibrillation, an electric shock that allows the heart to resume a normal beat. ”

“ When a person is apparently drowned he is unconscious and not breathing because his lungs are full of water and his skin is blue and cold because no air is getting into his blood to redden it and warm it; remember the heart does not stop until some time after the breathing stops. If we can get air into the blood and start breathing again before the heart stops we can save the patient's life. If we cannot get the breath started in time the heart stops and the patient is then dead. ”

“ The person is unconscious, but not dead. What are you going to do? Place her on her chest, and squeeze out of her chest any water that you can. Wipe out her mouth and throat. Pull out her tongue, turn her on to her back, and perform artificial respiration. Get someone else to wrap her up in blankets, and apply warmth to the extremities. But do not discontinue the artificial respiration until a surgeon arrives, or until the patient breathes regularly in a normal way, or until some other pair of philanthropists relieve you. ”

“ If required to make a post-mortem examination, every cavity and important organ of the body must be carefully and minutely examined, the seat of injury being inspected first.
V.—MODES OF SUDDEN DEATH
There are three modes in which death may occur: (1) Syncope; (2) asphyxia; (3) coma.
1. Syncope is death beginning at the heart—in other words, failure of circulation. It may arise from— (1) Anæmia, or deficiency of blood due to hæmorrhage, such as occurs in injuries, or from bleeding from the lungs, stomach, uterus, or other internal organs. ”

“ This death is a real suffocation; the lungs being empty are convulsed, the circulation disordered, and the whole mass of blood driven by the heat toward the head and breast; whence that hæmorrhage at the nose and mouth which happens after death. ”

“ The heart beats with violence, the lungs gasp for more air, they have not pressure enough; the blood begins to ooze out of the minute vessels ramifying through the tissue of their delicate cells; blood issues from the nose, the eyes, the ears; the slightest exertion becomes oppressive—a mile or two higher, and death is inevitable. ”

“ In fourteen out of the thirty-five cases, in which an examination of the dead body took place, all the chief organs were found to be healthy, if we except the local congestions of blood connected with the mode of dying, and a flabby state of the heart in a few of the cases, which probably depended on its being full of blood at the time of death, or its not being in a state of post-mortem rigidity, at the time it was examined. ”