Emergency Care Demystified: A Guide to Basic Life Support
In the face of a lightning storm, it's essential to know how to respond if tragedy strikes. The German Red Cross (DRK) offers a simple procedure, "Check, Call, Compress," to help save lives.
If a person is struck by lightning, the first step is to check for their response and breathing. If there's no response and no normal breathing, it's a cardiac arrest. Speak to the person and touch them to confirm their condition.
The next step is to call for emergency services (112). While waiting for help to arrive, perform chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. Using the song "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees, which has 100 beats per minute, can help keep the rhythm.
If there are other helpers, take turns performing chest compressions. Just make sure not to stop until medical professionals take over.
Prof. Bernd Böttiger, the Federal Physician of the DRK, emphasises the importance of immediate action. He has observed a lightning strike that melted the sand on a beach in Italy. Lightning releases energy that exceeds our imagination, with several million volts involved and temperatures reaching up to 30,000 degrees Celsius.
A direct lightning strike can cause severe injuries, including severe burns, bone fractures, eye injuries, and blindness. Muscle and nerve spasms can occur in the parts of the body through which the current has flowed, which can last for hours or days.
However, if help is administered within the first five minutes, CPR has more than an 80 percent chance of success. The blood pressure can increase due to a lightning strike and remain elevated for several months.
In cases of a lightning strike, the safest place to be is in a hut or barn without a lightning rod. The center of the building is the safest spot as the risk of the current jumping to your body is lowest there. During a storm, avoid being the highest point in the area. Instead, crouch down, preferably in a depression, with feet close together, ideally only touching the balls of your feet to the ground.
Touching a lightning victim does not pose a risk of electric shock, as the electricity has stopped flowing. If it's possible, drag the lightning victim to a safe building or car, but only if it doesn't delay the start of chest compressions by more than a few seconds.
On average, 4 people die each year in Germany from lightning strikes. However, Prof. Böttiger notes that the probability of being injured in a traffic accident is many times higher than that of a lightning strike in Germany.
On average, 110 people per year are admitted to hospital or receive medical treatment for injuries from lightning strikes in Germany. These statistics underscore the importance of knowing how to respond during a lightning storm.
By following the "Check, Call, Compress" procedure, you can help save a life and ensure that everyone stays safe during lightning storms.
