Review of a Health and Wellness Peer-reviewed Research Article

One of the common conditions that affect the health and wellness of most people in contemporary society is cardiac arrest. This disease can be described as the abrupt loss of the functions of the heart of an individual, and it can happen suddenly even in the absence of its symptoms. It is a fatal condition that is responsible for the loss of millions of human lives as it is likely to happen to a person when they are not near a health facility. It occurs mostly when people are out of hospital hence the need to take rapid steps in ensuring the person affected survives through a rapid emergency response system. Cardiac arrest statistics show low survival rates among the people affected by this condition due to its abrupt nature and lack of adequately trained personnel to handle the condition whenever it occurs. This fact has led a team of three medical professors to undertake a study on how best to improve the survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors. The article succeeds in identifying five strategies whose effective implementation could lead to saving countless lives around the globe.

Professors Jeremy Nolan, Gavin Perkins, and Jasmeet Soar of the Institute of Medicine in the United States published the article 'Improving survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest' to highlight the need to pay close medical attention to patients of cardiac arrest outside hospitals with a view of increasing their survival rates without any further risks to their health outcomes. In this article, they have devised five intervention strategies that could be implemented to enhance the post-cardiac arrest health of the patients. One of the strategies that they recommend in their findings is the use of automated external defibrillators as well as cardiopulmonary resuscitation. These are portable and can be used outdoors to help save a life of a person suffering from cardiac arrest. Extensive research on resuscitation together with establishing a national center for cardiac arrest statistics are the other strategies that the article recommends to improve the lives of patients after they experience a cardiac arrest. These will help in compiling relevant data for comparison and action strategies.

Also recommended is the use of future treatments and strategies to improve health outcomes and lastly, the researchers found the need to have emergency medical systems and hospital systems for resuscitation care. The implementation of these two strategies will ensure the best practices when it comes to offering quality healthcare pertaining cardiac arrest. This health article is of immense significance because it touches on an area of healthcare that is easy to ignore yet it is prevalent within society. The majority of cardiac arrest incidences transpire when the patient is in their daily routines doing their business. This means that they are far from healthcare facilities and if one is proximate to them, they may not make it in time due to the abruptness of cardiac arrest cases. The article offers a solution in taking good care of the out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients after they experience the condition with the sole objective of improving their chances of survival.

This article is also helpful in that it avails information that can be used in the healthcare industry to shape the policies and strategies used in enhancing the outcomes of cardiac arrest patients. This study will benefit the population that is most vulnerable to cardiac arrests due to the risk factors that expose them to the condition. One of the target populations is the elderly generation that comprises of people with advanced age. Old people are likely to experience cardiac arrest unlike younger people. Another population likely to suffer from cardiac arrest more than others is the male gender. Men are twice as likely to experience sudden cardiac arrest as their female counterparts. They could benefit greatly from the contents of this peer-reviewed article. People of the black race are also likely to experience cardiac arrest than other races. The situation for them is even worse if they have prevailing medical conditions like chronic kidney disease, diabetes, heart failure, or high blood pressure. If a cardiac arrest befalls any of these populations, they could utilize the contents of this research to improve their chances of surviving post-cardiac arrest period.

There are various risk factors and prevention tips associated with this condition. Coming from a family with a history of coronary artery disease is likely to increase the risk of cardiac arrest. Smoking tobacco products as well as a high daily intake of alcohol are also risk factors that are likely to lead to cardiac arrest. Obese people, just like individuals with a high level of blood pressure and high cholesterol levels in their blood, are also at a relatively higher risk of suffering from a cardiac arrest at some point in their lives.

The same is also true for the diabetic people while individuals who lead a sedentary lifestyle are at risk of exposure to cardiac arrest. There is no specific way of knowing the risks to sudden cardiac arrest, and it would be prudent for the populations exposed to the condition to mitigate the risk factors. Frequent screening for heart ailments during regular clinical checkups is advised to reduce the chances of a cardiac arrest. The other practical way of reducing cardiac arrest is through leading a healthy lifestyle that does not expose an individual to heart-related complications. Practical strategies include eating a healthy balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activities, the reduction of tobacco smoking, as well as drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation.

At the end of this research article, the trio of authors concludes that their findings would lead to avoiding millions of preventable deaths of post-cardiac arrest patients. This would be possible through the implementation of the proposed five strategies. From a medical perspective, there is no denying that continuous research would be necessary on this topic to ensure the best standards of care possible. I think that the information contained in this peer-reviewed research article would go a long way in influencing my lifestyle choices regarding diet and physical exercises to ensure I lead a healthy and long life.