Every Minute Counts

It goes like this. Adair County Ambulance gets called out with the report on an unresponsive patient. CPR is begun by first responders, who arrive sometimes as many as 10 minutes before the ambulance crew arrives, depending on the location.

Once the ambulance crew arrives, which is ALS [Advanced Life Support] certified, medications are able to be administered and the patient is hopefully able to be revived.

Neil Glaser, who is the Education Coordinator for Adair County Health Systems and is a paramedic with Adair County Ambulance, says getting the word out on CPR certification is very important. February is National Heart Month.

“As we speak right now, that patient I spoke of is at the point of making it to a rehab floor, so it was a very minimal neurological deficit they faced and all the caregivers from the other facility are very surprised with how well the outcome was,” Glaser said. “It was all about the immediate CPR and that’s a local success story.”

According to Glaser, with every minute that passes that no CPR is started, there is a 10 percent less chance of their survival.

“If no CPR is going on for five minutes before EMS or police get there to do CPR, the patient has already lost a 50 percent chance of survival,” Glaser said. “When you take your last breath, you have eight minutes of oxygen still left in your system as long as it’s circulated with CPR. Brain death starts at about four to five minutes without circulation. As long as CPR is started right away and you get the blood flowing, they have a much better chance of survival.”

Glaser teaches classes at the hospital monthly that certify or re-certify people in giving CPR. Many people are apprehensive of doing CPR but Glaser cautions them that getting certified and doing something is always better than doing nothing.

Classes are offered to the community on the last Monday of every month at Adair County Health Systems. Those interested can contact Glaser at 641-743-7232 to register as classes are offered on an as-needed basis. Glaser also teaches Heart Saver First Aid, Pediatric First Aid and CPR with an AED (Automated External Defibrillator, as well as Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), ALCS for healthcare providers and CPR for healthcare providers.

“I’d like to see a lot more out of the community doing this. We don’t see a lot of people out in the community who just want to do this. People can have groups. If people have a group, we’ll come out and we’ll teach them,” Glaser said. “We’re here, seek us out. Most people are worried they’re going to hurt the person [by doing CPR], but that goes back to the fact that they’re already unresponsive. There’s a chance they might or might not come back. That’s the thing people have to understand. As long as CPR is started right away, there’s a much better chance of survival.”