Hoax: Self CPR
There's an e-mail message entitled "How to Survive a Heart Attack When Alone" making the rounds. It starts out like this: Let's say it's 4:17 p.m. and you're driving home, (alone of course) after an unusually hard day on the job. Not only was the work load extraordinarily heavy, you also had a disagreement with your boss, and no matter how hard you tried he just wouldn't see your side of the situation. You're really upset and the more you think about it the more up tight you become. All of a sudden you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest you home, unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. What can you do? You've been trained in CPR but the guy that taught the course neglected to tell you how to perform it on yourself.
This email continues with a DO IT YOURSELF CPR description. DO NOT FOLLOW THIS!
READ ON TO LEARN WHY!
HOAX: HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE
Important Notice Regarding the article "How to Survive a Heart Attack When Alone. : The e-mail message recommends a procedure to survive a heart attack in which the victim is advised to repeatedly cough at regular intervals until help arrives. The source for this article was attributed to ViaHealth Rochester General Hospital. No article like this was produced by Rochester General Hospital.
The information comes from a professional textbook on emergency cardiac care. This procedure is also known as "cough CPR" and is used in emergency situations by professional staff. Both The Mended Hearts, Inc., a support organization for heart patients, and the American Heart Association have said this information should not be used. As with all medical rumors, the most prudent course of action is to verify the information with your own doctor or other medical professional before acting upon it or sharing it with others. Learn more about EMAIL HOAX LETTERS on the VIRUS AND HOAX ALERT website.
