CPR is a life saving procedure that combines rescue breathing, which provides oxygen to the lungs and chest compressions, which stimulates the heart to resume beating. In order to perform CPR successfully, it’s important to be sure to follow a set of procedures in order to maintain calm during the crisis and keep the victim alive until medical professionals arrive.
Definition of CPR
CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is an
emergency procedure that serves as a life saving method. Artificial respiration
is performed to keep oxygen flowing through the blood. Intermittent external
chest compressions massage the heart and stimulate it to resume pumping the
artificially oxygenated blood to the brain. Without this procedure, permanent
brain damage or death can occur within minutes. When the heart stops, the brain
is deprived of the oxygen it needs to continue functioning and keep the body
alive.
CPR is the first treatment for someone who has passed out, has
no pulse, and is also not breathing. If the victim still has a pulse, only
artificial resuscitation is necessary. Continue CPR or artificial breathing
alone until the victim’s breathing and pulse resume on their own or until
medical professionals arrive to take over.
Make Sure the Scene
is Safe
Before you begin performing CPR, there are certain steps you
must take to be sure that more harm will not come to the victim and that no
harm will come to you. It is imperative that you check the locale for safety
hazards and attend to them promptly so that more victims are not created while
you are helping the first one.
Do not
hesitate to tell others what to do. If everyone waits for someone else to
take the lead, nothing will get done. Time is of the essence in an
emergency situation where someone is not breathing and has no pulse.
Courtesy is not.
Have
someone else call 911. If you know how to perform CPR, you should not
waste time on the phone if someone else can do it. If you are the only
person around and have a phone available to you, call but continue
preparations.
Avoid
safety hazards in the environment of the victim, like fire or a downed
power line. If you can fix any of the immediate issues or have someone
else do it, then secure these things before continuing to perform CPR. If
you can get to the victim safely, do so. If you injure yourself, no one is
helped and another victim is created.
If the
victim needs to be moved because of some imminent danger, move them –
carefully and quickly. Try to keep their neck as immobile as possible but
when you have to choose between a possible spinal injury and death, take
the chance and move that victim to a safer place to perform CPR.