RE "auto CPR" - I agree with the person who wrote that 911 should be phoned first. It's impossible to argue with Rochester General Hospital, and it's true that the technique described is an accepted one, the physiologic explanation having some logic. However - my strong suspicion is that **for heart attack** it works mainly by giving the victim something to do while nature takes its course. The technique is of most use during dysrythmia - irregular heart rhythm - and here it may actually help the heart revert to normal rhythm. It is most likely to help in episodes of intermittent atrial fibrillation, a particular type of heart rhythm disturbance, and people who have such episodes are often taught to use the technique (which doesn't always help even in this situation). But if the real problem is dying heart muscle due to inadequate blood flow to that heart muscle, self-coughing isn't likely to do much. If it ever happens to me, I hope I'll either get to the nearest phone, or if that's impossible, pull over to the side of the road, lie down, and wait it out. Fortunately for all of us, most of these first episodes of severe chest pain are **not** heart attacks, but are something less than that, such as "angina", or else trapped gas, or else acid regurgitating back into the swallowing tube (esophagus). Angina, or "coronary spasm" is like a charlie horse of the heart muscle; pain occurs and can be severe, but muscle doesn't die and the pain subsides. After that first episode, see your cardiologist ASAP and be sure you get the necessary tests. Then start taking half an aspiring a day (if she/he recommends it) and carry nitroglycerine tablets. That's much more likely to help. Bill Hansen Ithaca NY *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue May 30 2000 - 20:29:31 PDT
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