Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, better known simply as CPR, is a life-saving skill that can come in handy at any moment. Learning CPR is easy, and the impact could be life-changing. CPR is used to help someone whose heart has stopped. An estimated 95 percent of the people whose heart suddenly stops working die before reaching a hospital, according to the American Heart Association. Learning CPR, though, can help change those statistics.
What Is It
Simply put, someone doing CPR is manually pumping the blood and breathing for someone who has stopped doing both. Under normal conditions, without even thinking about it, humans breathe and their heart keeps blood flowing. Typically, adults breathe at a rate of between 12 and 20 breaths a minute. Likewise, the heart continuously pumps blood throughout the body and through the outer portions of the lungs to fuel blood cells with oxygen. When someone is pulseless and not breathing, life begins to end. That's where bystander CPR comes into play. Chest compressions, a keystone of CPR, help push blood through the body, taking over for a heart that has failed to do so. And the breathing task is helped by blowing air into the victim's mouth.
Doing It
The biggest step for anyone doing CPR is actually getting over the fear of doing it. Doing nothing will not help the person who has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Doing something may change both your lives. So, set aside the natural fears of not doing CPR properly. Time is important. Tap their shoulders and shout, "Hey, are you OK?" If you are alone and they don't respond, call or yell for help. If someone is nearby, send them to call 911. Check to see if the person who has collapsed is breathing. Do you notice their chest rising and falling? If the person is on a couch or chair, move them to the floor. Place a hand on their forehead and one under the bone part of their chin and tilt back. Doing so lifts the tongue, which may be blocking the person's airway. Quickly put your ear to their mouth. Do you hear air moving? Do this for no longer than 10 seconds. If they're not breathing, pinch their nose and give them two quick breaths. Open their shirt. Find an imaginary line between the nipples in the center of the chest. Clasp one hand over the other and press down. Give 30 chest compressions at the rate of about 100 per minute then give two breathes. Don't stop until medical help arrives or the person responds.
Why Do It
The longer a person is without oxygen, the lower their chances of surviving. After just a few minutes without air, a person could suffer brain damage. So the faster a bystander witnessing a sudden cardiac arrest gets involved, the greater the chance they'll survive. If you do nothing, they have no chance.
Risks
Concerns about putting your mouth on the mouth of a stranger are normal and understandable. However, there are other options. Many malls, stores and restaurants have CPR kits that include masks and other barrier devices to protect from any cross contamination that may occur. Likewise, the American Heart Association also suggests just doing compressions, and even provides a video for the technique at its Web site.
Where to Learn
Learning CPR is simple and takes a few hours. Classes are taught by instructors trained under the American Heart Association, American Red Cross or American Safety and Health Institute. Classes are often available at local hospitals, colleges or recreation organizations.
Tags: American Heart, American Heart Association, Heart Association, cardiac arrest, help someone, sudden cardiac, sudden cardiac arrest