Why Everyone Should Know CPR: A Matter of Life and Death
Every year, more than 350,000 people die from cardiac arrest. That’s more than 1,000 deaths every day. And it doesn't take an emergency room physician to know that these are preventable deaths. By knowing CPR, you can be the difference between life and death for someone you love or even just a stranger in need—and sometimes all it takes is a few minutes to save a life!
What is CPR?
CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It's a lifesaving technique that can help someone who is not breathing or who is only breathing in a very shallow way. CPR involves chest compressions and rescue breaths, both of which are used to keep blood flowing to the brain and other vital organs until more advanced medical assistance arrives on the scene.
There are several ways to perform CPR, but it's best to learn the correct technique from an expert--and then practice regularly so that you'll be ready if ever faced with this situation in real life! You should call an emergency number before starting CPR (or ask your local fire department what number they recommend calling) so that first responders can arrive on the scene quickly and provide more advanced assistance as needed. Don't hesitate; it's better than doing nothing at all!
When should you do CPR?
If you see someone who is unconscious, not breathing or has stopped breathing, you should call 911 and begin CPR immediately. If they're unresponsive or not responding to verbal commands but still have a pulse, then perform chest compressions only until help arrives.
If you witness a drowning incident (or even if you are in the water yourself), perform CPR on the victim as soon as possible until medical help arrives--even if it means removing yourself from danger first! Drowning kills more people worldwide than any other cause of death and most victims die within five minutes after inhaling water into their lungs; therefore it's critical that bystanders act quickly when faced with this situation by performing immediate resuscitation measures such as chest compressions before transporting victims back onto dry land where they can receive proper medical care from first responders like paramedics who may have been waiting nearby all along but were unable to assist due to lack of resources needed for successful treatment outcomes like oxygen tanks or defibrillators etcetera...
Who should do CPR?
The first step is to determine whether you are able to perform CPR. You should be able to answer "yes" to the following questions:
- Have you taken a course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)?
- Are you not injured?
- Are you not in shock? This means that your blood pressure and pulse rate are normal, and there is no evidence of bleeding from an injury or internal bleeding. If someone is unconscious due to shock, he or she will likely have pale skin, cool extremities (hands and feet), weak pulses at his neck or groin area (pulse points) with little if any detectable heartbeat through palpation; these signs indicate immediate medical attention is needed!
If there's no response from your friend after checking for breathing and signs of circulation (see below), call 911 immediately so they can initiate emergency care while waiting for paramedics' arrival--it could save their life!
How does CPR work?
CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a combination of chest compressions and artificial respiration. Chest compressions are performed with the heel of one hand on the lower half of the breastbone while the other hand is placed over it to form a seal. The compression rate should be 100 to 120 compressions per minute; if you are performing CPR on yourself or someone else with similar-sized chests, this means that each time you press down on their chest with your hands (about 1 inch deep), you should do so about 15 times in 30 seconds before releasing pressure and allowing them to breathe naturally again. This will allow enough time for blood circulation without causing any damage or pain during recovery periods between cycles of compression/breathing cycles; however, if there is no response after three cycles then stop immediately because chances are very slim at this point anyway!
Knowing how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can help save a life
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving procedure used in the event of a cardiac arrest. A person who has suffered a cardiac arrest may not be breathing or have a pulse, which can lead to brain damage or death within minutes. CPR helps keep blood flowing to the brain and heart until emergency medical personnel arrive on the scene.
CPR can also help keep oxygenated blood flowing to the brain and heart during this time period--but only if it's started within 12 minutes of when someone experiences their first symptoms (such as gasping for breath). If CPR is started within 12 minutes, it improves chances of survival by up to 80 percent!
Conclusion
Knowing how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation can be a life-saving skill. We recommend that everyone learn how to perform CPR, even if they don't think they'll ever need it. The important thing is that people know what to do in a medical emergency and are willing to act quickly when necessary.