It’s hard work to save a life

Here is how to save a life: 30 chest compressions and two mouth-to-mouth breaths, all performed to the rhythm of the Bee Gees’ disco number: “Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive”.

This is no joke. A Life Healthcare hospital team of senior nurse trainers, led by marketing head Ailsa Thorpe, yesterday showed the Dispatch staff how to perform basic CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Placing both hands over the chest of an unconscious person who is not breathing, and pushing down hard and releasing 30 times, is more important than mouth-to-mouth, so do that only two times between the 30 compressions, they said.

This is because the patient’s heart has stopped and the body needs blood to be pumped around to stay alive.

The nurses said that in 93% of cases, CPR gets a freshly stilled heart back and pumping again, but compression must continue until medics arrive. It takes hard work to save a life, said nurses who got on their knees with Dispatch staff and worked hard on dummies. Medics and nurses have been known to break a patient’s rib as they push down hard and release.

Use one hand to compress a child’s chest and two fingers for an infant, they said.

But the rule-of-thumb remains. Thirty compressions and two breaths – and keep on staying alive. — mikel@dispatch.co.za