Move your heart!
Only half of the population of Poland can count on the help of bystanders in the event of experiencing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) outside the hospital, which is far too few. In Scandinavian countries or the Czech Republic, the percentage is around 80 per cent, which is why Wroclaw Medical University is launching an educational programme titled ‘Move your heart’. The campaign will raise awareness of the importance of immediate resuscitation and teach how to perform it effectively and safely. However, the Medical University will not be acting alone, as other Wroclaw universities have joined the campaign, naturally including University of Wrocław! At the meeting organised by the Wroclaw Medical University, joint action was declared by: the University of Wrocław represented by Ms Katarzyna Dulas, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences represented by Ms Beata Nastiuk, Wrocław University of Health and Sport Sciences represented by Mr Marek Rejman, National Academy of Theatre Arts branch in Wrocław represented by Ms Joanna Śliwa, Academy of Music in Wrocław represented by Ms Justyna Miłosz-Konopacka, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business represented by Mr Wojciech Wachowicz, Wrocław University of Science and Technology represented by Mr Jarosław Sowizdańczyk, Pontifical Faculty of Theology represented by Ms Dagmara Zalewa. On the 16th of October, as part of European Restart a Heart Day, the universities will jointly hold an event at the Wroclaw Medical University Medical Simulation Centre at ul. Chałubińskiego 7a.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a condition in which the heart stops working properly and pumping blood, which leads to hypoxia and impairment of various organs, including the brain – the organ most sensitive to the lack of nutrients supplied by the circulatory system. A person who does not receive help timely dies, and if such help is provided with a delay, serious, often irreversible, neurological changes in the patient’s body may occur.
‘As employees of the health care system and the part of medical university community, we are painfully aware of how much the effectiveness of our actions in an ambulance or hospital depends on the help given to the injured by direct witnesses of an event,’ says prof. Piotr Ponikowski, rector of the Wroclaw Medical University. ‘We only have a few minutes to save human life, so together with our partners we want to raise awareness that providing first aid is not difficult and can only help and not harm.’
To each and every inhabitant of Wrocław: “Move your heart!”
‘We intend to appear at major sports events, in Wrocław public spaces, in media and social media. We are also planning events in kindergartens and schools in Wrocław,’ explains dr Paweł Gawłowski, assistant professor at the Medical Simulation Centre at Wroclaw Medical University, coordinator of the ‘Move your heart’ programme and a paramedic at once. ‘We also have declarations from the largest Wrocław universities, which want to join the project and together inform and teach the citizens of Wrocław how to move their hearts. I am glad that we have managed to unite so many institutions in one very important objective, which is to pass on knowledge on how to effectively save human life.’
You too can be a witness of SCA
Sudden cardiac arrest manifests as loss of consciousness, absence of pulse and breathing or breathing which is inefficient. In most cases, it is caused by heart conditions (e.g. heart failure, ischaemic disease) and cardiomyopathies; risk factors include coronary artery problems, hypertension, diabetes, electrolyte imbalance or unhealthy lifestyles (obesity, smoking). SCA may also occur during accidents (e.g. drowning, poisoning, electrocution).
There is no unequivocal data, however, it is estimated that 350,000-700,000 people die of SCA in Europe, and around 40,000 in Poland each year. In 60-80 per cent of cases, sudden cardiac arrest occurs in non-hospital settings, i.e. at home, at work, in a shop or on the street.
‘In such a situation, every second counts. Immediate undertaking cardiopulmonary resuscitation and carrying it out until the arrival of the emergency medical team results in a fourfold increase in the patient’s chances of survival. To put it simply, the life of a person in cardiac arrest lies in the hands of those being nearby,’ explains dr hab. Robert Zymliński, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Wroclaw Medical University, Head of the Clinical Department of Intensive Cardiac Care at the Institute of Heart Diseases of Wroclaw Medical University.
“The chain of survival” is of most importance
Resuscitation (i.e. chest compressions), which preserves blood flow to the vital organs, ought to be carried out as quickly as possible. With every minute, the patient’s chances of survival decrease by 10 per cent; the absence of any rescue action in the first four minutes following cardiac arrest results in no chance of the patient’s survival.
‘Unfortunately, on a daily basis, we can see fatal effects of failure to provide first aid, due to the lack of knowledge or fears and concerns of witnesses of an incident. We understand them and that is why we want to make them aware of the fact that the actions they can perform before the ambulance arrives are neither difficult nor complicated, yet extremely important in the so-called “chain of survival”,’ emphasises dr hab. Wiktor Kuliczkowski, Head of the Haemodynamics Laboratory at the University Clinical Hospital in Wrocław.
UCH is the only hospital in the country to run a programme for the treatment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest using ECMO (WOHCA – Wroclaw Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest). In agreement with the Wrocław Emergency Medical Service, the facility accepts patients who have suffered SCA, yet resuscitation is unsuccessful and an ECMO connection is required.
‘However, such a procedure should be treated as a last resort; resuscitation initiated by witnesses of an event is much more effective. And even if it is ineffective, quick connection of such a patient to ECMO brings more benefits than in the case of people who are not helped by anyone,’ claims dr hab. Wiktor Kuliczkowski.
Source: https://www.umw.edu.pl/pl/poruszserce
Translated by Patrycja Orman (student of English Studies at the University of Wrocław) as part of the translation practice.
