Introduction
As a citizen of the world, it's important to be prepared for emergencies and disasters. Having knowledge of first aid can help you save lives and keep yourself safe in an emergency situation. One of the most important skills you can learn is cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
The First Step of the CPR Treatment
- Check the victim's airway, and remove any obstructions.
- Expose the chest by lifting their shirt or pulling it aside (if wearing a jacket) and untucking their shirt if necessary.
- Pinch their nose closed with one hand, then give two slow breaths into their mouth through an oral airway or your own mouth if you don't have one available (you can use your thumb for this). If there is no obstruction in their throat, this should cause them to start breathing again on their own; otherwise, continue giving them full breaths until they come around fully before moving on to step 4 below!
Check the Victim's Airway
Once you've determined that your victim is unresponsive, it's time to check their airway. Open the victim's airway and check for obstructions by tilting their head back and lifting their chin. If possible, place a pillow under the back of their neck so that they are lying at an angle of 30 degrees or less (this will help open up their airways).
If you cannot perform rescue breathing because exposing your chest isn't possible (such as when wearing a heavy winter coat), punch holes through clothing with your fingers or other objects so that you can get access to both sides of the chest wall simultaneously.
Expose the Victim's Chest
- Remove any clothing that is covering the victim's chest.
- Make sure the victim's chest is exposed and not compressed by clothing or a seatbelt.
- Chest compressions involve pushing down on the victim's chest with both hands as if you were trying to push their heart back up into place. The ideal place to start is between your thumbs and index fingers--about two inches (five centimeters) below your nipples and above your belly button (the bottom of your rib cage). You should use only enough force so that you feel some resistance when pushing down; otherwise, you may break ribs or cause internal bleeding in other parts of the body due to excessive pressure on those areas during CPR efforts.
Pinch the Nose and Give Two Slow Breaths
Pinch the nose and give two slow breaths.
- Use the correct size mask for the victim. The correct size is one that covers both their mouth and nose.
- Perform the correct technique when performing rescue breaths:
- Open the victim's airway by tilting their head back, lifting their chin, and placing your hand on their forehead (or gently pushing down on their chest if they are already lying flat).
- Place your lips around theirs, creating an airtight seal between them; make sure not to blow too hard into their mouth as this may cause them to vomit or cough reflexively which could lead to choking or damage of internal organs like lungs or stomach lining due to gastric refluxes caused by excessive pressure buildup within those organs due to excessive exhalation during CPR procedures carried out improperly by untrained people like yourself!
Look, Listen, and Feel for Breathing
- Listen for air escaping from the victim's mouth.
- Listen for sounds of breathing.
- Feel for breath on your cheek, or check to see if the victim's abdomen is rising and falling with each breath they take.
- Raise the victim's eyelid to look at the eye, which should be open and responsive; if it isn't, administer rescue breaths until you can restore consciousness by other methods or until medical help arrives (if possible).
Give 30 Chest Compressions at a rate of 100 Per Minute
When you give chest compressions, push hard and fast. The rate should be 100 per minute. You should perform 30 compressions followed by 2 breaths. To do this correctly:
- Use the heel of your hand, not your fingertips or palm.
- Keep elbows straight and locked during all phases of CPR (don't bend them).
- Make sure to use the correct hand position: place one hand over the other so that they overlap by about 2 inches; then place the index finger over the middle finger on top of the victim's breastbone; press down about two inches when compressing the chest as shown below in illustration 1a (or illustration 1b if using AED). Release pressure completely before starting the next compression cycle; don't roll back up onto the victim's ribs when releasing pressure because doing so may cause injury!
Takeaway:
The takeaway is that CPR certification is a critical skill for every citizen. It's easy to obtain, important because it can save a life, and is required for many jobs. If you are planning on becoming a healthcare provider or working in an emergency situation where people need your help, then you should consider getting certified as soon as possible.
Conclusion
As you can see, CPR is a very important skill to have. It can save lives and give people the chance to recover from critical injuries. The best way to learn it is by practicing with other people who are willing to volunteer their time and bodies for this purpose!
