4 GOLDEN MINUTES

7/19/20233 min read

It's safe to say that every detail of first aid is crucial and determines the success of the operation. However, nothing is more crucial than time. Four golden minutes marks the limit we cannot exceed in the event of sudden cardiac arrest. Learn why.

What does the 4 golden minutes rule apply to?

By definition, 4 golden minutes define the time it takes to restore a stopped heart. This isn't much. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs in a variety of circumstances, but the fact remains that we only have 4 minutes from the moment of the event to save a life. What happens during this time is crucial – prompt resuscitation and defibrillation significantly increase the chance of survival, while failure to act means death.

The effectiveness of first aid depends on knowing WHAT to do and IN WHAT ORDER. The ability to maintain a cool head is extremely valuable in such cases. First, thoroughly assess the situation and make an early assessment to determine whether the injured person is conscious and breathing. The next step is to notify the appropriate emergency services. It's crucial that the information provided is brief, factual, and precise – the location of the incident, the patient's condition, and the circumstances of the accident. The dispatcher conducts the conversation in a way that quickly gathers all the information necessary to dispatch an ambulance. Therefore, it's important to refrain from further descriptions of the situation and assumptions, which will unnecessarily delay the arrival of the rescue team.

After calling for help, you should begin the pre-medical steps indicated by the dispatcher, including resuscitation and, if possible, defibrillation. It's important to remember that the four golden minutes don't begin counting from this point, as time begins when the heart stops. Therefore, we have less and less time to restore circulation. If we don't take further action, irreversible changes will begin to occur in the patient's brain.

Immediate resuscitation is primarily aimed at restoring blood flow to vital organs – primarily the brain, but also the heart, lungs, and kidneys. The oxygen contained in the blood will keep their cells alive despite cardiac arrest. On the other hand, a patient who has received first aid is prepared for the arrival of a medical team and their professional rescue efforts.

While the importance of providing first aid is obvious, it often happens that witnesses to an accident don't know how to act or are even afraid to do anything. Sometimes the reason is a lack of knowledge of first aid principles and genuine incompetence. Other times, people express concerns about the legal consequences if their actions are unsuccessful. Education remains everyone's responsibility, but the law imposes an obligation to provide aid. Consequences are imposed for failure to act, not for failure.

Why is time so important?

The four golden minutes rule is based on the passage of time. It remains the most important factor in determining the chances of saving a life. Why is this true? Four golden minutes serve as a kind of benchmark that allows us to understand a patient's situation. If four minutes have passed since cardiac arrest and no one has initiated resuscitation, blood will stop circulating throughout the body, and oxygen will no longer reach individual organs, whose cells will begin to die. So, it's really about oxygen, without which we cannot live. Properly performed chest compressions will allow blood to circulate throughout the patient's body, preventing oxygen deprivation and, consequently, damage to vital organs. It's important to note that cell death occurs at a different rate in each organ. The brain, considered the most important organ in the human body, is the most sensitive to oxygen deprivation. It will be the first to react to a lack of heartbeat, and the first effects will be visible after about four minutes. That's why we talk about the four golden minutes rule. It usually takes longer for an ambulance to arrive at the scene. This is due to many factors, including traffic jams, weather conditions, and the availability of slow medical teams. If the patient is located far from the city, in a difficult-to-access area, help will take even longer to arrive. This means their life is in the hands of bystanders. Only immediate resuscitation (started no later than four minutes from the moment of cardiac arrest) will maintain vital functions until the ambulance arrives.

Failure to take action diminishes the chances of survival with each passing minute. It is estimated that with each passing minute, the chances drop by approximately 8-10%. This means that after 10 minutes of inaction, no help will be effective.

What can you do today?

– remember emergency numbers

– learn how to properly report an incident

– learn how to use ADE and find out where defibrillators are located in your area

– take a first aid course

– when you witness an incident – ​​act!

Initiating resuscitation within four golden minutes is crucial to the patient's life and health. Therefore, everyone should know how to provide first aid, understand why time is so crucial, and above all, act immediately, in a specific manner, without interruption, until the ambulance arrives. Only this creates a realistic chance of successful rescue.