There are those who will tell you that learning CPR is a waste of time because when society collapses there won’t be any hospitals to complete the chain of survival. That’s shortsighted. Each day in the United States, one thousand people go into cardiac arrest. Preparing for disaster doesn’t just mean preparing for a society ending event. Most disasters are personal.
When each of my parents passed away, I was struck by the fact that the rest of the world continued as it did the day before, even though my own world had experienced such a shock. That’s the nature of disaster- they can affect a single person, a household, family, region, or an entire nation- even the world. It is prudent to prepare for long term, widespread disaster, but the one you are most likely to face will be limited and personal.
I spent my career responding to disasters, and most of them involve just a single person. Start small: Learn first aid, learn CPR, all because knowledge is power, and once attained, knowledge is never wasted.
11 Comments
Doc · July 5, 2024 at 6:09 am
Great advice – more likely to use First Aid skills than gunfighting skills – although both are required in today’s society.
Used to be, more likely to come across an automobile accident than a situation requiring firearms. Now, I’m thinking anecdotally,…..
Lori G · July 5, 2024 at 9:35 am
When I was a wee little lass, we were vacationing on our 46 ft. power boat. A storm was coming; it was raining and we had to leave dock because of where we were tied up. My barefoot older brother, standing in a puddle on steel, grabbed the electrical power cord to disconnect us from the shore grid and got electrocuted. He fell forward into the water, went to the bottom with the cord still shorting out, about 15 ft. or so. There was a doctor on the boat next to us that just sat there and watched. My father unplugged the power cord, pulled my brother out by it, and gave him CPR until his heart was beating and he was breathing again. He smelled burnt and it was not pretty. Since the storm was upon us, we went out to sea to ride out the storm instead of trying to get him to the hospital. I was supposed to watch him as he was in a forward bunk, but being a little girl I fell asleep. When I woke up, he was gone! I ran topside and there he was driving the boat in the storm. Yes, CPR does work. It saved my brothers life, and he was just fine without any hospital visit.
Dan D. · July 5, 2024 at 11:09 am
THIS is one if the classic and definitive arguments for CPR – children. I get that you’re not going to reverse a successful career of bacon, booze and smoking is 55 year old with additional intervention. But if it was you, wouldn’t you hope someone took the time to train and develop a minset to intervene?
Last year I decided to spend the $1200 to keep and AED in my Jeep. If it can correct Afib in someone, the sting of the cost is long forgotten.
I write often on my blog that the prep community needs less John Wick and more Johnny Gage.
Aesop · July 5, 2024 at 10:34 am
You absolutely should learn CPR, for now. You might save a life.
And normalcy will predominate over extremes, overwhelmingly.
(Until it doesn’t.)
But with all our advantages, if everything goes perfectly, of those thousand cardiac arrests a day, 909 will die every single time, no matter what you do. The only reason to do CPR, even now, is because you don’t know which 91 you’ll make a difference for.
But in a grid-down environment, CPR will be about as useful as elephant repellant in the Arctic.
And all 1000 will die.
That’s true even now on a simple trip to the outdoors.
If somebody thinks they can do solo full CPR for even an hour, I invite them to try sometime.
Right after that, they should go look up the outcome percentages (both absolute survival, i.e. return of a pulse, and survival to hospital discharge) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests with a delay of anything greater than 30 minutes before paramedics are on scene.
(It’s better than Powerball winning ticket odds, but only just barely.)
Knowing how to deal with choking and near-drowning, both of which are part of CPR curriculum, is helpful.
But current wilderness care, and grid-down care ever, for things like strokes and cardiac arrest is going to involve a body bag, probably to 3 or more places to the right of the decimal after 99.
Current numbers, with first-world care, and no delay, for non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest:
“While up to 30% of all cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) achieve return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), only 10% survive, such that a substantial proportion [of even that 10%] undergo difficult and potentially long intensive care with death as the outcome.” The Lancet, UK
“According to 2021 US data for adult OHCA only, survival to hospital discharge was 9.1% for all EMS-treated non-traumatic OHCA cardiac arrests.” – American Heart Assoc.
That’s in society, with all the bells and whistles: paramedics, ER, cath lab, CICU.
Traumatic arrest (gun shot, exsanguination, motor vehicle collision), even with everything, is <1% now, in the First World. Dead is dead.
Cardiac care is amazing, in the First World.
Grid Down anything = the Turd World.
Survival rate from non-traumatic cardiac emergencies there: about 0.0%, 24/7/365.
Because no bystander CPR, no defibrillators, no paramedics with cardiac drugs, no cardiac emergency care, no cath lab, no ICU. Just like it will be in the Sahara, the Amazon, or the Alaskan outback. Or a wide area in a major disaster. Or everywhere if society goes belly-up for more than a few days.
Look at which of those things you don't have, and tell me how you're going to do.
Get all the medical training you can, certainly.
But don't expect any CPR saves.
You'll save more lives learning bleeding control, and basic hygiene and sanitation, than all the lives you'd ever save in your lifetime with CPR. True since time began, and something they've taught every doctor at medical school, usually within the first few days.
Robert · July 5, 2024 at 3:21 pm
Aesop, thanks for the blunt and unhappy advice about CPR. Thanks for the alternative suggestion about learning to control bleeding.
I have a friend who was saved by CPR after a lightning strike. He recovered almost fully. One of those 1% people to which you referred. I have known people who drowned. CPR did not recover them.
I spent the insufficient time and money I have for training on learning about bleeding control – which I have actually needed to use once. I believe that is the smart way to bet. I have also done training for infection control and treatment, which is something a non-medical person like me can expect to succeed at doing.
I need to do what I can with what I have available. Just like everybody else.
DrBob · July 5, 2024 at 1:02 pm
As a volunteer EMT, I also teach CPR to by FD and interested citizens. I agree that CPR is very important, but I also suggest that those who can afford it, also buy an AED. In a study of 500,000 cardiac arrest cases, the Japanese showed a 7-fold increase in survival with AED plus CPR vs CPR alone. This is in the case of a witnessed arrest.While there will always be situations in which no AED is available, it can be a literal life saver. AEDs are now available for about $1500.
Rick · July 5, 2024 at 3:05 pm
People who say to not learn CPR or even basic First Aid are terribly shortsighted. Too, they seek to give excuse for their lacking. They are morally bereft and cowardly.
Decades ago, I realized that if I required CPR even if in the midst of a crowd, I would probably die. Many of our fellow citizens are unthinking mouth breathers who stare slackjawed at a moment in life come askew.
Exile1981 · July 5, 2024 at 11:48 pm
Work requires 1st aid w/cpr 2 day course every 3 years. I have never done cpr outside of class and 5 minute solo cpr on the dummy was exhausting.
Dad did cpr on a coworker in the late 70’s who touched something live and he lived but that was a shock not heard attack.
For me i’ve used the bleeding skills and choking skills every few years.
Elrod · July 6, 2024 at 5:15 am
DM and Aesop: Since a number of folks above either have purchased, or especially for those who are interested in purchasing, an AED; any recommendations on brand and model?
Aesop · July 6, 2024 at 11:40 am
1) You get what you pay for.
Before You Buy:
2) Find a model for which you can get replacement pads when you use it. If you’re going to spring for an AED, get a couple of spare sets of pads.
3) Find out what happens if/when you use one.With the unit, medically, and legally.
4) You need to re-cert on AEDs regularly too. The odds are small of being sued for using one, but do you want to be the one who pulls yours out, uses it, the person dies anyways (like in 90% of cases) and then you’re the test case for a lawsuit, because it was expired, or you weren’t current in certs for using it?
Yeah, didn’t think so.
5) On that topic, find out the lifespan and expiration date for any model, beyond which the manufacturer won’t back it, refurb it, or replace it.
Figure out what it’s costing you per year of lifespan.
Before you buy it.
6) When you need it, it’s a literal lifesaver.
BUT the number of rhythms that are shockable are exactly two.
For everything else, it’s you, cranking on that chest, until the paramedics arrive.
7) AEDs for ordinary folks have a preprogrammed algorithm inside, and they will analyze rhythms you’ll never see, and decide if a shock is advised or not. Most times, it will be “not”.
8) An AED isn’t much help once there’s no paramedics, ER, cath lab, or ICU.
But when you DO have all those things at hand, you might save 10 people out of every thousand cardiac arrests.
Most people will be anomalous if they run into 2 cardiac arrest in their lifetime, outside of a hospital.
9) Zoll, Phillips, and Physio-Control/Lifepak are reliable brands in the biz.
You’re looking at around $700-$1500 for brand new machines.
If you wanna buy, go ahead on.
But I would counsel to think carefully how much first aid goodness you could purchase for that chunk of change.
Weigh your choice carefully.
Then, follow your conscience.
If you decide to purchase one, be scrupulous in checking up on it, and keeping it ready. The only thing worse than no AED when you really need one, is having one, but you didn’t keep it ready in an instant when you need it. Heart attacks won’t make allowances for sloppy care and feeding.
Dan D. · July 6, 2024 at 12:47 pm
Heartsine is what I have. Good for you on considering it.
https://americanaed.com/products/complete-aed-packages/heartsine-samaritan-pad-350p-360p/
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