A trending video claims that beating the elbow pit of a person who has had a heart attack can make them regain consciousness. That’s the claim in a message circulating on social media, even though the message and the video are not new.
The elbow pit is the small triangular depression in the arm, on the other side of the elbow. It’s formed by the connection of the humerus bone with the radius and ulna of the forearm.
In the trending video, someone suddenly suffered a heart attack and someone helped to resuscitate him by beating the elbow pit for two minutes, and the patient recovered consciousness.
Heart attack symptoms
Experts say that heart attack causes a sudden pain in the chest. The pain may spread to the neck or left arm.
Speaking to Africa Check Nigeria, a professor of medicine and cardiology at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Oluranti Familoni, said in common and classical cases, a heart attack patient is likely to collapse, vomit and sweat profusely. “There are other symptoms that can only be recognised by a specialist,” he warned.
To underscore the severity of heart attack and why the patient must be made to see a doctor without any delay, experts warn that between four and six minutes after the heart stops beating, brain death occurs.
Therefore, cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, a life-saving technique that helps maintain blood flow to the brain and heart in an emergency situation, must be employed, rather than slapping the patient’s elbow pit as suggested in the video.
Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR
Speaking about the claims in the video, Prof. Familoni said, “As far as orthodox cardiovascular medicine is concerned, the claim is unacceptable.
“It is not medically proven. The elbow pit is not related to the heart and lungs. If anyone is having a heart attack, administer CPR.”
Physicians say that because your family member or stranger beside you could be in this situation, as socially responsible citizens, we all should train ourselves to execute CPR for such emergency situations.
CPR is cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It helps keep the blood flowing, which gives the person a better chance of surviving as first aid help before taking him to the hospital.
“Start CPR with 30 chest compressions before giving two rescue breaths,” Familoni said. “All public facilities should also have defibrillators which can be used when medical personnel arrives,” he added.
See the controversial video:
See the right thing to do when responding to someone who suffers sudden heart attack. Follow the steps in this video after calling emergency workers. Video credit: Heart & Stroke:
