India Post News Bureau
CHICAGO: With an ever-increasing need in reducing morbidity and mortality due to heart attacks and strokes, especially among Indians and Indian Americans, the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) and the American Heart Association (AHA) joined hands together for the first time for a Global Initiative, World Restart A Heart Day with the objective of raising awareness about “Sudden Cardiac Arrest“ and how “Hands-Only CPR“ is done at home, thus rescuing and saving the lives of our loved ones on Sunday, October 18, 2020.
Francesca Martinez, representing AHA addressed the event. Panelists at the live virtual session that was participated by Dr. Kapil Pareek, an SCD survivor; Anupama Gotimukula, President-Elect of AAPI; Dr. Brahma Sharma, Cardiologist; and Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalgadda, President AAPI.
Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalgadda said, “this is the first time in AAPI history in Association with AHA to observe the World Restart A Heart Day. It’s a total commitment to the joint efforts by AAPI and AHA.”
The World Federation Societies of Anesthesiologists (WFSA), in collaboration with the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), runs the “World Restart a Heart Day,” a global campaign on the occasion of World Anesthesia Day. This is a global initiative, started in 2018 to increase the awareness of Bystander-CPR, in addition to increasing the overall Bystander CPR rates.
Dr. Brahma Sharma, a prominent cardiologist, serving as the Chair of the AAPI and AHA Liason Committee on South Asians CVD, said, “For too long, we South Asians have silently suffered from the premature death of loved ones from cardiac arrests in homes but no more, we have to be proactive so Under this historic AAPI – AHA alliance, we plan to take this initiative of Hands-only CPR” to every household so we can feel comfortable to pitch in and rescue these precious lives in first few minutes before help arrives “
During the event, AAPI stressed the importance of Hands-Only CPR for bystanders and immediately rescue lives and reduce “Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests. A Hands-on only CPR demonstration was led by Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President-Elect of AAPI
The AAPI-AHA Liaison Committee Advisor Dr. Vemuri S. Murthy in his observation had mentioned Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) if performed immediately can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chances of survival. In the majority of cases, immediate Hands-only CPR may have similar survival outcomes comparable to the conventional CPR performed with both chest compressions and breaths.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a serious public health crisis costing about 360,000 human lives here alone in this country Studies have shown that immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal are experiencing a dramatic rise in heart disease. South Asians make up 25 percent of the world’s population but they contribute 50 percent to global cardiovascular deaths.
Unfortunately, 9 of 10 persons with sudden cardiac arrests do not survive but if assisted by timely CPR before the emergency help arrives, then we can double or triple the chances of recovery. The majority of cardiac arrest patients have the underlying coronary disease but some especially, South Asians, who have this problem recognize the manifestation of this illness very late.
