Exact Answer: 6-7 Months
CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is a medical First-Aid that helps save the lives of people even after the heart stops beating. CPR can save lives and give twice as much possibility of survival if it is done immediately after the heart has stopped beating.
Summary
The main use of CPR is to keep the blood flow activity in the body. The technique is used in situations like a heart attack or near-drowning emergency. It is mainly used when the person in question is not breathing anymore or the heartbeat has stopped.
It is recommended by the healthcare professionals that the bystanders should start the CPR with chest compressions instead of waiting for the ambulance as it can increase the chances of the person staying alive.
How Long To Heal After CPR?
CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is mainly used on a patient when they are not breathing or their heart has stopped beating. It can also be said to be a situation of cardiac arrest.
During a cardiac arrest, the heart can’t send blood to the organs like the brain of the body which can result in death if not done anything to pump the blood.
It is essentially done by a doctor who would apply pressure on the patient’s chest to mimic the rhythm of the heart pumping the blood and hence, helps the blood reach the organs and keep the person alive until further medical assistance is provided. This gives the person a chance of survival as the brain has not died yet.
The lack of oxygen supply to the brain can cause significant damage to the brain and other parts of the body. During cardiac arrest, the person would quickly fall into unconsciousness and the brain would not receive proper oxygen supply, which in turn, would stop the involuntary movements in the body like breathing.
This lack of oxygen can lead to something known as hypoxic-anoxic injury or HAI. This refers to the partial or complete lack of oxygen to the brain which can cause severe damage, sometimes irreversible.
A very common symptom of a person who recovers from a cardiac arrest or CPR is the effect it has on memory. It can lead to a severe loss of memory, spasms, speech impairment, loss of control in muscle movements, etc.
| Part Of The Body | Side-Effect After CPR |
| Brain | Loss of Memory, Difficulty in Gaining Balance, Dizziness |
| Muscle | Muscle spasms, Loss of muscle movement, Loss of mobility |
Why Does It Take 6 to 7 Months To Recover After CPR?
Even though CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a life-saving medical first-aid, more often than not, people who recover from cardiac arrest or CPR would be left with side effects that are mostly related to the brain or muscle functions. Both of these organs are very important for survival and the person must be recovered fully before going back to their normal lifestyle.
Some of the side effects the person could be left after CPR include things like severe memory loss, muscle spasms, loss of control in muscle movements, etc. It can even go as far as loss of mobility for some.
People who move into a state of coma during or after a cardiac arrest are bound to suffer more damage to their brain than a normal cardiac arrest patient. There is also a risk of damage to their spinal cord.
If a person is in the state of coma for more than 12 hours, they can also suffer from a state known as unresponsive wakefulness syndrome or UWS which would have the person making some voluntary movements, however, there would not be any other form of response.
There could be effects like fatigue, change in personality, or balance issues after the CPR but proper care could help the person regain some of the abilities. Recovering from the effects of a cardiac arrest would take time, but the person must take a healthy diet as the body needs the energy to recover. There should also be no form of smoking or alcohol participation. The medical professionals suggest that physical activity or exercising helps a lot in recovery.
Conclusion
CPR is a life-saving medical first aid that is mainly used when a person has stopped breathing or the heart has stopped pumping the blood, which is considered a situation of cardiac arrest.
There is a high chance of the brain and other parts of the body suffering from side-effects after the cardiac arrest which would include memory loss, fatigue, change in personality, etc. It could take up to 6 to 7 months to recover from the cardiac arrest and still, there is a chance of some symptoms to be permanent to the body.
There should be proper care and recovery of the person before going back to the normal routine.
References
- https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/conditions/cardiac-arrest
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/brain-activity-after-cardiac-arrest-1298429
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600
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