[AT] Coughing CPR
Sheppard, Charles E
sheppard at indiana.edu
Tue Apr 17 12:27:50 PDT 2007
I am not a medical doctor but my wife is a nurse in a cardiology group.
She put the question to them about the validity of coughing to ward off
heart attack. They suggest it is not an effective strategy. I Googled
it, also, and got many different responses but the consensus appears to
be that coughing CPR is urban legend; some even say it can be dangerous
as coughing can raise the blood pressure in the brain. Better to call
911.
Many of the antique tractor guys I know and have seen are older and may
be at greater risk for sudden heart attack. The portable defibrillators
may be a worthwhile consideration. We have one at our office that does
not require any training. It will not deliver a shock if a normal
rhythm is present. CPR training is now widely available and would be
the next best thing to a defibrillator. And, of course, most of us
should shed a few pounds, eat healthy and get moderate cardiovascular
exercise on a regular basis, IMHO.
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