After Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a video of a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) performing CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on a 70-year-old conscious person on a moving train, the post received criticism.

In a follow-up post, the minister clarified, "CPR should be stopped when a person becomes conscious or follows commands, which are signs of return of spontaneous circulation."

However, he faced flak from doctors, who urged the minister to delete the video since CPR should not be performed on a conscious person.

What was wrong with the video? Doctors pointed out that the train should have been stopped the moment the CPR began, and the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as seen in the clip should only be done when the patient is unconscious.

WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO GIVE CPR?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving emergency procedure performed when a person experiences cardiac arrest, resulting in the sudden loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness.

CPR is performed only on an unconscious person whose breathing and heartbeat have suddenly stopped.

One must find a safe environment for the patient who has fallen unconscious. Once you find the person unresponsive, get an automated external defibrillator (AED), a device which is usually available at various public places.

According to the American Heart Association, CPR can be done in two ways:

Conventional CPR involves chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth breathing at a ratio of 30 compressions to 2 breaths.

For adult cardiac arrest victims, the medical staff should aim for a compression rate of 100–120 per minute, with a depth of at least 2 inches (5 cm) but not exceeding 2.4 inches (6 cm), to ensure effective resuscitation without causing harm.

For bystanders witnessing an adult collapse, Hands-Only CPR is recommended. This involves performing chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth breaths, while someone else calls the ambulance.

Source: India Today