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Comment by spacechild1 | Hacker News Reader

I didn't know about the low success rate of CPR, but I have been very well aware of the potential damage. When I was a paramedic (as an alternative to military service) I once had to perform CPR to an old lady and I heard her rips crack. One of the worst experiences in those 9 months...

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I was taught that if you aren't breaking ribs, you're doing it wrong.

I don’t think that’s right. Sometimes the cartilage will break which can sound similar, but broken ribs is a serious condition that can lead to internal bleeding and such.

> Broken ribs are present in 3% of those who survive to hospital discharge, and 15% of those who die in the hospital

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiopulmonary_resuscitatio...

Ah, this was something like ten years ago, so it seems likely that I'm misremembering. Thanks for the correction!

I was taught you are supposed to break the cartilage.

You're kinda burying the lede here... Was this woman resuscitated by your efforts and do you know how long she survived afterwards?

*and with what quality of life did she survive?

If I am 85 years old, maybe it is better for me to move on.

CPR + Old Lady + Not in a hospital = Almost certainly didn't survive, or live well if she did.

Yeah, that's what I got from lifeguard training. The best chance of doing anything positive with it is going to be on an otherwise young and healthy person whose heart stopped due to a very unusual trauma.

And CPR and artificial respiration is never a miraculous eyes-opening recovery like in the movies— it's pretty much just putting oxygen in the brain to buy a few extra minutes for the ambulance to arrive and take over.

Correct :-(

I'm sure you did everything you could, the sad fact of life is that eventually it ends.

Ah, sorry! I heard afterwards that she was declared dead when she arrived in the hospital...

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