Happy Valentine's Day from a gypsum heart in a cave.
Speaking of hearts, let's have some Real Talk! About hearts! Today I re-certified in CPR & First Aid. Did you know that socialized as female folk are far more likely to die from a heart attack / cardiac event than men? It's true! A large cause of this is due to the fact that symptoms are often not as-seen-on-TV; instead being brushed off as nausea, acid reflux, or indigestion. And what do we do when we feel ick? We go to the bathroom. So when we collapse, no one is around to see, much less administer CPR. So: check on your friends who disappear to the bathroom for a long time!
Sadly, there is also a huge disparity between races in survival as well. Not only does lack of medical access and environment & social factors mean there is higher risk (systematic racism), but overt racism also prevents bystanders from stepping in to help. Black & Latinx people suffer the most. (https://newsroom.heart.org/news/cardiovascular-health-risks-continue-to-grow-within-black-communities-action-needed)
CPR is not that difficult! It is more the mental challenge of being prepared to step in and help. If you can't get to a class (hands on with the training manikins is certainly recommended if you can!) still learn about it. All 50 states have Good Samaritan laws.
I personally know two people who are alive thanks to a normal everyday person knowing CPR, and intervening. This is community building, y'all! Take care of each other out there.
Some additional tips:
1. If someone has a medical emergency and you end up leading the way, always point and directly tell people what to do (ex: you in the blue shirt *pointing at them* call 911). If you just shout things, people will not jump into action. Be specific & direct.
2. Always check for a pulse on the same side you are kneeling on, you don't want to reach across their neck.
3. If there are enough people, direct folk not involved in helping to form a circle looking *out*. This gives some privacy, very important in these days of cell phone cameras and the fact that say, once the AED shows up, their chest will be made bare. Help protect the patient's privacy!
4. Good Samaritan laws generally have caveats such as never accept anything as a thank you (not even flowers, *nothing*) and stay with the person until someone of equal or greater training arrives. So if you say, start CPR then just get tired and stop with no one equal or higher taking over, then you are liable.
