Can a Cough Jump-Start an Unresponsive Heart?

Sun-Journal Lewiston, Me. › February 20, 2007

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DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My wife, who is in her mid-70s, suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema/chronic bronchitis). Although once trained in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), I am now incapable of practicing it. I find it difficult to detect a pulse. I read on the Internet from a heart doctor that a person whose heart is not beating has only 10 seconds before losing consciousness. If he or she coughs every two seconds, that action prompts the heart to restart circulation. Is this plausible, or is it too far-fetched? - R.H.

ANSWER: Coughing has recently been promoted as a way to self- resuscitate a heart that has suddenly stopped. In that short period of time before lapsing into unconsciousness, deep coughing is said to push blood from the lungs, through the nonpumping heart and out into the aorta. Once there, the deep inspiration that follows a cough draws blood into heart arteries to get the heart to pump again. I can't tell you how successful this maneuver is. The proponent of it says that people should practice deep coughing five times in a row with one to two seconds between coughs as a rehearsal for such a catastrophe.