What should you know about cpr

High-performing CPR requires deep and steady compressions per minute, so head to the gym and start working on your upper body strength and cardio! Take AED. Should you be called upon to perform CPR in an emergency, you may find yourself getting tired, so if possible switch off with another person every couple of minutes.

An automated external defibrillator AED is a small, portable medical device. Bystanders, as well as medical professionals, can use AEDs. After analyzing the heart rhythm, automated voice instructions and text prompts tell the rescuer how to proceed.

If defibrillation is necessary, the device will warn responders to stay clear of the victim while the shock is delivered. Sudden cardiac arrest can occur anytime, anywhere, and without warning. Although laws for the placement of AEDs vary, many states require AEDs in public areas like gyms, schools, sports stadiums, and community centers. AEDs should be kept in a well-marked and publicly accessible location.

You never know when you might be called upon to use it. Training also provides hands-on familiarity with an AED and teaches you how to avoid potentially dangerous situations.

When should I do hands-only CPR? The American Heart Association recommends hands-only CPR in the following circumstances: If a bystander, not trained in standard CPR, sees an adult suddenly collapse or come upon a collapsed person then he or she should call and provide chest compressions by pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest.

Interruptions should be kept to a minimum until trained rescuers arrive. For bystanders previously trained in standard CPR, hand-only CPR may be performed if the bystander is not confident or is unwilling to perform mouth-to-mouth ventilation. What is the correct action where someone needs to be moved to perform CPR, such as a car accident?

Does the risk of additional harm such as spinal injury or bleeding outweigh the benefits of CPR if nobody qualified is on scene? Remember if you don't do CPR the person will die. The neck injury is only theoretical if you move the person. Whenever you move a person with a possible neck injury try to support the head during movement and keep it as straight as possible. During the CPR , what is the percentage of heart efficiency as a pump? I heard that no matter if a person is unconscious that you should perform CPR.

Is this true? When should you not perform CPR? It is true that sometimes a person may be unconscious and their heart is still beating and they may still be breathing. Such a situation, for example, may occur in someone who has just had a grand mal seizure. If you tried to do CPR on such a person he or she would probably groan and even try to push you away. This would be your clue that CPR was not needed. CPR is intended only for someone whose heart and breathing has stopped. If the victim moves or pushes you away, you should stop CPR.

What is the ratio of 2-person CPR? How do I perform CPR on a person who has a tracheal stoma? Do I have to cover their mouth or just breath directly into the stoma? There are two types of stomas, one which communicates to the nose and mouth and one which doesn't. Since you won't know which type you are dealing with, it is best to pinch the victim's nose closed, keep the victim's mouth closed and breathe directly into the stoma opening.

When you are giving mouth to mouth are you actually breathing oxygen into the victim's lungs or are you trying to stimulate breathing by breathing carbon dioxide into their lungs? You are breathing oxygen into the lungs.

When performing CPR, how do I know if it's working? You can tell if the chest rises with ventilation. It is hard to determine if the chest compression results in a pulse. Do the best you can and don't stop. It's better to perform CPR imperfectly than not at all. If a person has had bypass surgery, and a situation occurs that they require CPR, are there any special considerations that need to be made? No, CPR should be done in the regular fashion. Is it easier to break an overweight person's ribs or a skinnier persons ribs when performing cpr?

The weight of the victim has little to do with the chances of breaking a rib, instead the age of the victim seems to determine the fragility of the bones. Remember the person in cardiac arrest is already clinically dead. CPR can only help. Even if it's not done "letter perfect" it will probably provide some benefit to the victim. Frequently ribs are broken with the pressure CPR places on the sternum. This happens more frequently the older the victim since the cartilage is less compliant and the bones more easily crackable.

But remember, it's better to have a cracked rib than be dead. Will CPR always save a life? If you see cardiac arrest happen see sidebar , call right away and then do CPR until medical professionals arrive. Keep reading to learn how to perform CPR. Follow these steps if you see someone in cardiac arrest:.

If you want to gain confidence in performing CPR, consider taking a class or attending a training. Find training external icon or a course external icon near you. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

Heart Disease. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. How can I tell whether someone is in cardiac arrest? Accessed May 11, Accessed October 22, American Heart Association News.

Who gets CPR from bystanders?