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Cough CPR is a resuscitation technique described in an email that began circulating around 1999, in which by coughing and deep breathing every 2 seconds a person suffering a cardiac arrhythmia
Cardiac arrhythmia

Cardiac arrhythmia is a term for any of a large and heterogeneous group of conditions in which there is abnormal Electrical conduction system of the heart in the heart....
 immediately before cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest

A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during Systole ....
 can supposedly keep conscious until help arrives (or until the person can get to the nearest hospital).

Although the technique is in fact taught to doctors, nurses and paramedics, this widely-circulated email confuses the difference between a "heart attack
Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when the Blood flow to part of the heart is interrupted. This is most commonly due to occlusion of a coronary artery following the rupture of a Vulnerable plaque, which is an unstable collection of lipids and white blood cells in the wall of an artery....
" and a "cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest

A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during Systole ....
".






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Cough CPR is a resuscitation technique described in an email that began circulating around 1999, in which by coughing and deep breathing every 2 seconds a person suffering a cardiac arrhythmia
Cardiac arrhythmia

Cardiac arrhythmia is a term for any of a large and heterogeneous group of conditions in which there is abnormal Electrical conduction system of the heart in the heart....
 immediately before cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest

A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during Systole ....
 can supposedly keep conscious until help arrives (or until the person can get to the nearest hospital).

Although the technique is in fact taught to doctors, nurses and paramedics, this widely-circulated email confuses the difference between a "heart attack
Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when the Blood flow to part of the heart is interrupted. This is most commonly due to occlusion of a coronary artery following the rupture of a Vulnerable plaque, which is an unstable collection of lipids and white blood cells in the wall of an artery....
" and a "cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest

A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during Systole ....
". Cough CPR is intended only for imminent cardiac arrest. The American Heart Association
American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate Heart care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke....
 does not endorse cough CPR during a heart attack..

This confusion appears to revolve primarily over the public's failure to discriminate between a heart attack
Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when the Blood flow to part of the heart is interrupted. This is most commonly due to occlusion of a coronary artery following the rupture of a Vulnerable plaque, which is an unstable collection of lipids and white blood cells in the wall of an artery....
 and cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest

A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively during Systole ....
. A heart attack occurs when an occlusion (e.g. blood clot) of an artery in the heart slowly causes tissue to die. This can result in chest pain and discomfort, and requires immediate medical attention to resolve the occlusion by emergency surgery or cardiac clot-busting drugs
Thrombolysis

Thrombolysis is the breakdown of thrombosis by pharmacology means. It is colloquially referred to as clot busting for this reason. It works by stimulating fibrinolysis by plasmin through infusion of analogs of tissue plasminogen activator, the protein that normally activates plasmin....
.

"Cardiac arrest" occurs when the heart stops beating, usually due to a heart attack, other prior medical condition or disturbance of the heart's electrical system. "Cough CPR" is intended not for a heart attack, but rather, imminent cardiac arrest, since coughing can increase blood pressure
Blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs. The pressure of the circulating blood decreases as it moves away from the heart through artery and capillary, and toward the heart through veins....
 to the brain, preventing the person from fully arresting. Most people cannot identify when they are about to go into cardiac arrest unless they are monitored by an electrocardiogram
Electrocardiogram

An electrocardiogram is a recording of the electricity activity of the heart over time produced by an electrocardiograph, usually in a Non-invasive recording via skin electrodes....
 at a hospital. The American Heart Association only recommends Cough CPR when a patient is monitored by an electrocardiogram with imminent signs of cardiac arrest.

Many experts are deeply concerned that people experiencing a heart attack may attempt to perform Cough CPR before attempting to call for emergency medical assistance first. The action of coughing itself may worsen myocardial ischemia and infarction
Infarction

In medicine, an infarction results in the death of a macroscopic area of tissue in an organ due to loss of adequate blood supply. This dead tissue is then known as necrosis....
 (i.e. worsen a heart attack) due to the breath holding individuals experience while trying to cough, preventing the inhalation of oxygen.

Chain Emails

Cough CPR has been the subject of a series of chain email campaigns. These emails are typically of the following format:

External links

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  • debunking the legend