[Itaewon Disaster] The Golden Time for Crushing is 4 Minutes... CPR Must Be Performed in Emergencies Even Without Training

Cardiac Arrest from Crush Injury: CPR Within 4 Minutes Increases Chance of Normal Function
Using Arms to Secure Breathing Space Crucial in Crowded Situations

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] On the night of the 29th, ahead of Halloween, a large-scale crowd crush accident occurred in Itaewon. Experts emphasized that in cases of cardiac arrest caused by compression, immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) within 4 minutes is crucial.

Performing CPR within 4 minutes increases chances of survival and normal function

According to emergency rescue and medical experts, the golden time in a crowd crush accident like this is within 4 minutes. Professor Noh Young-sun of Seoul National University’s Department of Emergency Medicine said in an interview with YTN on the 30th, "In cases of cardiac arrest, the golden time is to perform CPR within 4 minutes," adding, "Not only in crowd crush accidents but generally in cardiac arrest cases, providing rapid CPR increases the patient’s survival probability and the likelihood of normal neurological function."

Professor Noh also added that even if one has not professionally learned or experienced CPR, it is better to attempt it in an emergency situation. He said, "Knowing that CPR involves pressing the center of the chest about 3 to 5 cm deep at a rate of about 100 times per minute, and recalling CPR scenes seen in media, if performed immediately, it will greatly help the patient rather than doing nothing."

In this accident, it is understood that many people fell and piled up, and the surrounding traffic situation was congested, making rapid rescue difficult even after the report was received. Professor Yeom Geon-ung of U1 University’s Police and Fire Administration Department explained in an interview with the same broadcaster on the day, "Many people were in a narrow alley, and being pushed on a slope caused people to fall and be crushed. Even the fire department’s dispatch was inevitably delayed, which ultimately led to fatalities."

The fire authorities announced that as of 10:30 a.m. on the day, the total number of casualties from this accident was 233, with 151 deaths. Among the deceased, 54 were male and 97 were female.

Secure breathing space and avoid pushing in crowded situations

Mehdi Mousaide, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, Germany, advised on precautions to take in dangerous crowded situations in an interview with foreign media. Mousaide emphasized that people should not place bags on the ground when standing in groups, as they become obstacles for those who fall, causing multiple people to fall like a snowball effect.

He stressed the importance of securing space around the chest for breathing. Mousaide said, "Place both arms in front of your chest and clasp them together. Even a very slight space of about 0.5 to 1 cm is enough to keep breathing."

Mousaide also advised that when feeling others pushing from behind, one should not push back. He explained, "Everything is a chain reaction; if you push, that pressure can eventually come back to you."

Meanwhile, crowd crush accidents have continued to occur worldwide recently. In November last year, 9 people died when fans were pushed at a concert stage in Texas, USA, and earlier this month, 132 people died at a football match in Indonesia.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.