Life-Saving Move Or Misstep? Ticket Checker Performs CPR On ‘Conscious’ Train Passenger – News18

Last Updated:November 25, 2024, 10:20 IST

The Railways faced backlash for sharing a video of an employee performing CPR on a conscious man.

A video shared by the Railways Ministry on Saturday showed a travelling ticket examiner (TTE) attempting to help a 70-year-old passenger during a medical emergency on a train. The passenger reportedly suffered a heart attack while travelling in the general coach of the Amrapali Express. The TTE stepped in and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in an effort to assist the passenger. But the video sparked criticism online as doctors pointed out that the man was conscious, questioning the use of CPR. They explained that CPR is meant for unconscious patients without a pulse or breathing. Using it on someone awake could cause complications or legal problems.

In the video, the TTE is also seen giving mouth-to-mouth breathing to the man who was responsive at the time. This method of artificial respiration is used to help an unconscious person breathe. The Railways mentioned in the post that the passenger was then taken to a hospital in Chhapra, Bihar, for further medical assistance.

The Railways Ministry praised the TTE for his prompt action as his efforts saved the passenger’s life. “TTE’s promptness gave ‘life.’ While travelling in the general coach of train number 15708 ‘Amrapali Express’, a 70-year-old passenger suffered a heart attack. The TTE deployed there immediately gave CPR and saved the life of the passenger. The passenger was then sent to the hospital at Chhapra railway station,” the official handle of the Ministry of Railways wrote while sharing the clip.

The clip faced backlash from experts for ignoring proper medical protocols as seen in the comments section.

One user commented, “He is awake, you do not do CPR on an awake person. You don’t do CPR just for a heart attack. Govt officials should not post such misleading articles.”

Another added, “Yes, you should give CPR when a patient is unconscious/unresponsive. He is awake in the given video!! That’s not recommended.”

“CPR is not performed on conscious patients. The procedure is reserved exclusively for those who are unresponsive & not breathing or have an ineffective pulse. Performing CPR on a conscious patient violates medical protocols & can result in legal liability for the responder,” a person pointed out.

Someone questioned, “Why would you give CPR to a person who is conscious?”

More criticism followed with one user writing, “Please delete this tweet, don’t spread misinformation. You should not give CPR to an awake patient, instead of helping, it can be counterproductive.”

The video has accumulated more than 5 lakh views so far.