Veteran actor and filmmaker Nana Patekar has died after suffering a cardiac arrest at the age of 75. He was found unconscious at his home in Dona Paula, Goa, and was declared dead at 5:20 am. Patekar was rushed to Manipal Hospital, where doctors attempted to revive him with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for almost 45 minutes before declaring him dead.

"Despite 45 minutes of continuous CPR, he could not be revived. A medico-legal case (MLC) has been registered, and a post-mortem will be conducted," Dr Shekhar Salkar, Chief of Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, told news agency ANI.

Nana Patekar Was Given CPR For 45 Minutes: What is CPR?

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, popularly known as CPR, is an emergency, lifesaving medical procedure performed when a person's breathing or heartbeat has stopped. It combines chest compressions and rescue breaths to help maintain blood flow and oxygenation to the brain and other vital organs, doubling or tripling a person's chances of survival.

The term CPR comes from "cardio," meaning heart, "pulmonary," meaning lungs, and "resuscitation," meaning to revive.

CPR during cardiac arrest

"When someone suddenly collapses, the instinct of most people is to panic. Yet in a cardiac arrest, the first few minutes can be critical, and knowing when to begin CPR can make a meaningful difference. From a cardiologist's perspective, CPR is not a treatment to be attempted only by medical professionals. In an emergency, appropriate bystander action can help keep a person alive until advanced medical care arrives," says Dr. Anshul Kumar Jain, Director - Cardiology at CK Birla Hospital, Delhi.

When is CPR Used?

"CPR is primarily required when a person is in cardiac arrest - meaning they are unresponsive and are not breathing normally. An unconscious person who is only gasping should not be considered to be breathing normally; gasping can occur during cardiac arrest and should not delay CPR."

"The appropriate response is straightforward: call the local emergency service, ask someone to bring an automated external defibrillator (AED) if one is available, and begin chest compressions," Dr. Jain adds.

Dr. Jain also explains that for adults, hands-only CPR involves pushing hard and fast in the centre of the chest. If a person has been trained and feels confident providing rescue breaths, they may perform conventional CPR according to their training.

Common scenarios that can cause sudden cardiac arrest include a heart attack, near-drowning, severe electric shock, suffocation, or major trauma.

How Does CPR Work?

When the heart stops beating, oxygen-rich blood stops moving. Brain damage can begin in as little as 4 minutes, and death can occur shortly after. CPR mimics the body's natural circulatory system through two main actions:

  • Chest compressions (Circulation): These are done by placing the heel of one hand on the centre of the person's chest, interlocking the fingers of the other hand on top, and using your body weight to push down hard and fast. The goal is to create artificial circulation by promoting blood flow to vital organs.
  • Rescue breathing (Oxygenation): By blowing air into the patient's mouth (mouth-to-mouth), you deliver oxygen directly into their lungs, which is then picked up by the blood you are circulating with compressions.

When can CPR not help?

According to Dr. Jain, CPR cannot treat every type of collapse. It is not appropriate for someone who has fainted ordinarily and is not the right response if a person is conscious and breathing normally.

"It is also important to understand that CPR alone cannot correct every cause of cardiac arrest. A person may require defibrillation, medicines, airway support, treatment for a heart attack, or other advanced interventions. CPR is the bridge that helps maintain circulation until those treatments become available."

"Another persistent myth is cough CPR - the idea that forceful coughing can restart a heart during cardiac arrest. It is not recommended as a treatment for cardiac arrest and should never delay emergency assistance or proper CPR," he adds.

How long should CPR be continued?

"There is no universal rule such as 'CPR should be performed for exactly 10 or 20 minutes'. A bystander should generally continue CPR until the person starts to show signs of life, trained emergency professionals take over, an AED instructs a temporary pause, or the rescuer is physically unable to continue, or the scene becomes unsafe," states Dr. Jain.

The cardiologist also mentions that the duration of resuscitation performed by medical teams varies. "Healthcare professionals assess the rhythm repeatedly, identify potentially reversible causes and determine whether resuscitation should continue based on the circumstances."

"The biggest mistake is waiting"

Dr. Jain points out that many people hesitate to start CPR because they fear doing it incorrectly or causing injury. However, in suspected cardiac arrest, delaying action can be far more dangerous. "Current guidance suggests a low threshold for starting CPR when an adult is unresponsive and not breathing normally."

"The message from a cardiologist is therefore simple: recognise cardiac arrest, call for emergency help, start CPR promptly and use an AED as soon as one is available. CPR may not restart the heart by itself, but it can buy precious time, and in cardiac arrest, those minutes can determine whether a person survives and how well they recover," he concludes.



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