Learning CPR need of the hour for everyone: AIIMS Executive Director

Survival from a cardiac arrest largely depends on how quickly a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is started and the quality of the process, an AIIMS official said on Thursday.

One in four deaths in India are due to cardiovascular disease and a cardiac arrest victim receiving CPR immediately is 2-3 times more likely to survive, according to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar.

There is a critical need for community education in CPR in India, where it is estimated that 98 per cent of the residents are not trained in it, AIIMS said in a release.

Intervening within 2-3 minutes of cardiac arrest is crucial to maintain blood circulation to the brain and get time for availability of immediate medical service. In such scenarios, the role of bystanders becomes vital, it said.

''CPR is an easy hand technique to maintain the heart functions,'' AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, Executive Director, Ashutosh Biswas said, adding that ''Providing training in lifesaving simple CPR in the community can help to a large extent.'' Biswas was speaking during the launch of the community CPR education, which will be done by the Bhubaneswar AIIMS in collaboration with the American Heart Association.

''More than 1 lakh community members will be trained in over two years,'' Biswas added.

Five hundred volunteers have been trained in this programme. Each of them will train at least 75 community members in the hands-only CPR, AIIMS added.