CPR is a life-saving technique that can mean the difference between life and death in a cardiac emergency. It’s designed to keep oxygen-enriched blood flowing around the body’s vital organs which are the brain and heart in particular until someone qualified arrives; perhaps from an ambulance crew or at hospital to take over from you. There are over 300,000 people here in Britain who have learned CPR. It need not be a doctor or nurse who saves a life. You do with the right knowledge and confidence can be instrumental in giving someone else their life back.
Don’t panic if you are a green hand in the CPR field. Let’s go through every detail of what is involved—just why CPR works, step by step in action.
What is CPR?
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure that involves chest compressions, often in conjunction with artificial ventilation, or mouth to mouth in an attempt to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. CPR is used in different emergency situations, such as:
- Sudden cardiac arrest
- Near-drownings
- If someone’s mouth is covered
- Overdoses on drugs
- Electric shocks
- Incidents where food or other objects get caught in the windpipe
The main purpose of CPR is to keep a supply of oxygen-carrying blood flowing to the brain and major organs. That way some valuable time can be bought for regular medical help to take over.
Why is CPR So Important?
Grasping this can make learning CPR more important and urgent. Here are some interesting numbers:
- In a single year, over 700,000 people outside of hospital will experience some form of cardiac arrest, in India alone.
- If nothing is done to heart or circulation, brain damage can begin within just four minutes of the arrest.
- When CPR is administered promptly before emergency responders come on the scene–the survival rate triples.
In many cardiac arrest cases people are at home, so really the first and best hope for ever getting better is often some calm friend, relative or bystander.
How Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) works?
When the heart is no longer able to function by itself, CPR manually pumps blood to keep it circulating. The two key elements of resuscitation are:
Chest Compressions – By pressing firmly and rhythmically on the chest, you simulate the heart’s pumping action–forcing blood throughout a person’s ramified body.
Rescue Breaths (If Trained and Comfortable) – Highland Medical supplies artificial breaths to keep up the oxygen supply when normal breathing has stopped.
Even if you aren’t trained in giving rescue breaths, this new form of CPR (compression only) is just as effective and offers much greater chances to survive.
Step-by-Step Guide to Performing CPR
Step 1: Assess the Situation & Call for Help
- Check the Safety of your surroundings and then the condition of the patient.
- Tap the person and call out, “Are you right?”
- No response to the tap? immediately call 108 or your local emergency helpline number.
- If other people are present, delegate one of them to fetch an AED (Automated External Defibrillator).
Step 2: Check for Breathing
- Check whether the person’s chest is moving or not.
- Listen for breath sounds.
- Place your cheek beside their mouth, and feel for air.
- CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) must be started immediately if the person is not breathing or only gasping for air.
Step 3: Begin Chest Compressions
- Place the heel of your stronger hand on the breastbone at the center of their chest.
- Put your other hand on top of your stronger hand, and interlock your fingers.
- Keep your arms straight. Swivel at the hips and use your body-weight to push down hard and fast.
- Compress at a rate between 100-120 beats per minute (beat the chest to the rhythm of “Stayin’ Alive” by Bee Gees).
- Press the chest at least 2 inches deep.
- Don’t waste time, let the chest spring back completely between every push.
Step 4: Tips on Giving Rescue Breaths (If Trained)
- Ensure that the person’s head is tilted back and their chin is lifted.
- Pinch the nose of the person, and then make sure that your mouth covers their whole mouth.
- Give 2 breaths, each lasting about 1 second, and see if the chest rises. Watch your watch!
- If the chest does not rise, reposition the head and try again.
Step 5: Keep Pumping and Breathing until Help Arrives.
- Each cycle is composed of 30 chest compressions and two breaths.
- Do not stop unless:
- The individual begins to show signs of life (breathing, movement, etc.).
- Outside help arrives.
- You are unable to continue working.
- Now an AED machine comes and it will shortly be put to work.
How to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)?
An AED is a portable device that can detect and analyze heart rhythms, and initiate shocks if needed. Here’s a quick guide on how to use AED, step by step:
- Turn on the AED and adhere to its voice commands.
- Using bare chest electrodes, attach them to the victim’s body accordingly.
- Now let the AED analyze whether or not the heart is back into a normal rhythm.
- If a shock is required, ensure that no one is touching the person and then press its button for discharging electricity.
- After the shock, return quickly to chest compressions and press down. Resume CPR.
Most Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistakes are bound to happen even with the best of intentions. There is still hope, though: we can avoid making them altogether by analyzing how past errors came into being and then patching any existing holes in our current systems only if there happen to be any left!
❌ Pressure too light: Compressions must be deep enough to pump blood around the body.
❌ Stop Every Few Seconds: Keep compressions going all the time. They only may be halted in a real emergency.
❌ No call for help: CPR is a vital skill but you still need emergency medical care from your nation’s professional medical services if anything goes wrong anywhere.
❌ Fail to let the chest come up: When the heart refreshes itself with a fresh supply of blood from every beat of each coronary artery it creates for one moment back seat volume reserves essential in its pumping action on your arteries.
Why Should Everyone Learn CPR?
CPR is one of the most valuable and accessible skills anyone can master. Whether you are a parent or teacher, a fitness instructor, coach; or just concerned citizen. Knowledge of CPR is potentially life-saving.
The best part of all is that it’s easy to learn! Many organizations, such as the American Heart Association (AHA) and Red Cross, provide CPR certification courses that can be taken either online or in person.
What can you do today?
Consider enrolling in a CPR course. You never know when you might be called upon to rescue someone’s life. Now-a-days, Cardiac Arrest is a very common health risk among every age group. Being prepared is not an option, it is our collective responsibility. Because there may come moments in which we really have only seconds to spare, and you are the one who makes the difference.
Links to Other Resources:
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) – FDA
What is CPR | American Heart Association CPR & First Aid
