The American Heart Association does not endorse "cough CPR," a coughing
procedure widely publicized on the Internet. As noted in the 2005
American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care, the American Heart Association DOES NOT TEACH THIS AS PART OF THE CORE CURRICULUM IN ANY COURSE.
During a sudden arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), it may be
possible for a conscious, responsive person to cough forcefully and
maintain enough blood flow to the brain to remain conscious for a few seconds
until the arrhythmia disappears or is treated. Blood flow is maintained
by increased pressure in the chest that occurs during forceful coughs.
This has been mislabeled "cough CPR," although it's not a form of
traditional resuscitation.
Why isn't "cough CPR" appropriate in CPR training courses?
"Cough CPR" should not be routinely taught in lay-rescuer CPR
courses, because it would complicate teaching traditional CPR. It would
add information that's not generally useful in the prehospital setting.
In virtually all lay-rescuer CPR courses, the finding that signals an
emergency is the victim's unresponsiveness. This signals the rescuer to begin the "A, B, C's" of CPR. Unresponsive victims will not be able to perform "cough CPR."
Are there situations when "cough CPR" is appropriate?
This coughing technique to maintain blood flow during brief
arrhythmias has been useful in the hospital, particularly during
cardiac catheterization. In such cases the patient's ECG is monitored
continuously, and a physician is present.
During cardiac catheterization, patients may develop sudden
arrhythmias. If a life-threatening arrhythmia is detected within the
first 10 to 15 seconds and before the patient loses consciousness, a
physician or nurse may tell the patient to cough. Repeated, forceful
coughing can help the person stay conscious until the arrhythmia
disappears or is treated.
Therefore, the usefulness of "cough CPR" is generally limited
to monitored patients with a witnessed arrest in the hospital setting.
AHA Recommendation
The best strategy is to be aware of the early warning signs for
heart attack and cardiac arrest and respond to them by calling 9-1-1.
If you're driving alone and you start having severe chest pain or
discomfort that starts to spread into your arm and up into your jaw
(the scenario presented in the Internet article), pull over and flag
down another motorist for help or phone 9-1-1 on a cellular telephone.
