To Compress or Not to Compress: CPR is a Must

Ordinary people who are certified in CPR are saving thousands of lives every year. The fact of the matter is, you never know when someone may stop breathing, and you may be the only one there to help. This makes seeking CPR and first aid training from an accredited agency is important for everyone, especially parents with young children. Here is some information on when CPR should be administered.

When to Give CPR

According to the American Heart Association, CPR should be performed on adults who unexpectedly collapse, have stopped breathing, do not respond to questions, and do not have a pulse. When these conditions are met, it is likely that the person has suffered sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), or in other words, their heart is no longer beating. After suffering cardiac arrest, the person only has a few minutes to receive treatment before they die.

Mouth to Mouth: Longer Necessary

According to a recent study from the American Heart Association, a SCA victim still has plenty of air in their lungs and in their blood to continue to feed the heart and brain. What this means is that you no longer need to actively force your own air down someone’s windpipes. Instead, victims can be treated with chest compressions alone. This is information is being promoted so that more bystanders will spring into action when someone collapses.

How to Perform Chest Compressions

Your first step when someone collapses is to check their vitals to see if they have a pulse and if they are breathing. If they are not, you should tell someone near you to dial 911, or use your cell phone to dial the number and ideally put it on speakerphone.

With the person on their back, and their head lifted slightly, place your hands one on top of the other in the center of the patients chest. Gently yet firmly press down with a rate of about 100 beats per minute. Many instructors suggest compressing to the beat of “Staying Alive” by The Bee Gees in order to maintain the right tempo.

While this is a description of the process you can use to restore someone’s normal heart rate and breathing, it should not be taken as a substitute for actual first aid training. To find out how to become certified in CPR and first aid and get the proper training that can potentially help you save a life, go to GRMedCenter.com now!