Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a procedure used to save lives when the heart is not beating effectively to circulate blood. Front-line people, including police, primary health providers, teachers, and others working in the public sphere, must be trained in administering CPR.
DR VACHASPATI, a homoeopath, narrates here how he saved his wife’s life by timely administering CPR to her after she suddenly collapsed due to illness. His early response was in the ‘Golden Hour’ or the first ten minutes. Excerpts from the actual story:
Every alternate year, my wife and I visit Silicon Valley, California, to join our family in June when our grandchildren are on summer vacation. We also find ourselves in the company of many other grandparents from all over India visiting their families, so it is an exciting time for all of us.
As usual, in June 2018, we were to visit the USA, but the trip had to be postponed; I had a medical condition, and my doctor advised me to reschedule the trip until I completed my treatment. We undertook the trip two months later, arriving in the United States on a fine summer day.
My wife and I were in perfect health; even though we are chronic asthma patients, (we) did not feel any discomfort. Besides, we were carrying the necessary medicines prescribed by our physician. While in the US, I even purchased an insurance policy to ensure that we were sufficiently covered should something happen during our stay there. We were looking forward to an enjoyable holiday with our children.
The day after our arrival, we spent most of the time resting due to the jet lag. However, my wife suddenly started to develop a low-grade fever, accompanied by a cough and cold. To control the fever, we gave her some tablets, but the condition worsened, and the constant wheezing continued, accompanied by troubled breathing and dyspnea. The next day, we visited a hospital, where the staff nurse put her on a nebuliser, suspecting pneumonia; later, a chest X-ray ruled it out. The doctor prescribed an anti-inflammatory steroid in addition to an inhaler, and she returned home after her condition stabilised.
On the same night, her symptoms returned. The following day, we called the hospital’s urgent care, who advised us to visit with the patient again. My wife went to the room to get ready but soon returned and sat on the sofa, continuously coughing and almost breathless.
The fight to save her life
Moments later, she passed out, unresponsive, eyes closed, respiration stopped, and lips turned blue. Panicked, I asked my son to call the 911 Emergency Medical Services of America while I started giving her CPR. She was on the sofa, and the cushion was hindering the process, so I pulled her on the floor and started vigorously compressing her chest, looking at her face for any sign of improvement. Her lips had turned blue, so I immediately gave her mouth-to-mouth respiration. Still, there was NO RESPONSE! To repeat the process, as I opened her mouth, I found her denture lodged inside her throat; pulling it out immediately, I filled my lungs with air, as deep as possible, and locking my lips over her, emptied my lungs into her. Again, to my dismay, there was no response.
What else should I do? I wondered frantically. Immediately, it occurred to me that I should also close her nose and raise her neck to make the airway straight and wide enough. This was a difficult decision, as closing her mouth and nose may choke her to death, but I thought she was already ‘dead’. If anything was to be done, it was now or never.
This time, my repeated mouth-to-mouth respiration and chest compression alternately brought her back. Her lips turned pink, respiration was restored, and the pulse returned. She looked around in bewilderment, utterly unaware of what had happened in the last ten to fifteen minutes.
Meanwhile, the lady on the 911 call was advising my son to follow the procedure I had just finished. She also assured him that medical help would reach our doorstep anytime. Just as she said, they arrived in 10 minutes, but it seemed as if ages had passed.
The four health workers immediately took charge of the situation. They immediately put her on a nebuliser since CPR was already done, gave her an inhaler, prepared a detailed report of her condition, including BP, SpO2 level, etc., and then transported her to the Hospital.
The doctor later told me that those initial moments (when she passed out) were critical for survival, and with every passing minute, the chances of survival reduced by 7-10%.
The diagnosis and isolation
At the hospital, we found her surrounded by nursing staff and doctors who followed the necessary protocols involved in treatment. Various test reports of liver, kidney, lipid, and sugar profiles were found to be normal. It was finally diagnosed to be a case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy with COPD. The precipitating cause was yet to be traced.
The next day, she was taken for Angiography. The doctor was expecting some blockage in the coronary arteries; after the test, he came to me in the waiting room and declared her arteries free from any plaque.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a rare condition of the heart in which the heart muscles suddenly become weakened, especially the left ventricle—the main pumping station of the heart—due to sudden physical or emotional stress. It is also known as BROKEN HEART SYNDROME. Due to excessive blood pressure, the left ventricle becomes pitcher-like. The disorder was first identified in Japan and was named after Tako-tsubo (octopus trap).
To find the precipitating factor, the team of doctors decided to perform a microbiological test. The nurse took a few samples of the nasal swab; after 48 hours, the result came back that she had an Influenza Virus Type-A infection, popularly called Swine Flu or H1N1 subtype virus. She was immediately shifted to the Isolation Ward.
Every doctor, nursing staff member, and even catering staff member entered the room after wearing a shoe cover, apron, hood, mask, and gloves made of special-grade polypropylene. We were also instructed to take precautions. What if I were infected or the infection travelled back to our house? There was no answer except God’s dispensation.
CPR- key aspects that help
I also wish to share that my only knowledge about CPR was based on a viral video by Dr Aggarwal, a Padamshree awardee, and I am so thankful for it; had I not come across it, my wife would have been dead by now. I must admit here that though I am a qualified homoeopathic physician, these life-saving emergency measures for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), like CPR, were not part of our curriculum.
While we are on the subject, it is crucial to understand that for women, giving CPR essentially means building pressure on the sternum rather than on the breasts. This technique boosts blood circulation and prevents pulse sinking. Mouth-to-mouth respiration (resuscitation) helps the brain prevent death due to a shortage of oxygen.
All’s well, that ends well
All said and done, it was a happy ending to a distressing situation for our family. By the grace of God, my wife recovered and was discharged from the hospital. The whopping hospital bills hit us hard, but later, they were taken care of by the hospital’s charity care as a one-time exemption.
Our happiness was beyond expression. The whole family immediately headed to the temple, prostrating before Mother Goddess, tears flowing like a child weeping in his mother’s lap.
Photo credit of dummy: Yann Btx, CC BY-SA, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo of Patient Source: Writer
