Adult CPR: Are You Prepared?

Imagine this: You are at the home of your parents. Your mom is in the kitchen doing the dishes. You are in there, talking to her. Your dad is outside, mowing the yard. Your children are in another room, playing a game. All is going very well.As you are talking to your mom about an article in a magazine on her table. You pick up the magazine and find the article. You look up to show it to your mom. As you look up, you notice that outside the window, in the middle of the yard, your dad is lying on the ground. You run to his side and yell his name. No response. Do you know what to do next?

CPR, which stands for Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, can help to save lives every day. Knowing when and how to perform CPR are invaluable skills. You cannot put a price on a human life.

In CPR, it is important to remember these words....check, call, care. They mean just what they say. First, check the scene, and make sure it is safe for you to approach the victim. check the victim for responsiveness. call for help. Care for the victim until help arrives.

When checking a victim, you want to gently shake the shoulder and yell their name. If they do not respond, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number. If there is someone else available to make the call for you, have them do so.The sooner you get help on the way, the better chance of survival the victim has.

When you call 911 or your local emergency number, be prepared to give the dispatcher information regarding the victim. You will be asked such questions as what happened, how many victims are there, where is the victim located, what is the condition of the victim now, and any other information the dispatcher may need to send the best help fast. Once you have called 911 or your local emergency number, return to the victim and care for them by performing CPR.

To perform CPR, first, you need you open the airway. To do this, place one hand on the victim's forehead, and two fingers under the chin. Gently lift the chin up as you push the head back. This is called the head-tilt-chin-lift. Once you open the airway, place your ear next to the victim's face so you can listen and feel for breath. As you do this, look towards the chest to look for a rise and fall the would indicate breathing. To help remember what do to, simply remember the words, look, listen and feel. This process allows you to determine if the victim is breathing and if there is any sign of circulation. If there is not, proceed to the next step.

Once you have determined that the victim is not breathing, give two rescue breaths. To do this, cover the victim's mouth with your own and breathe into the victim. Be sure you have a good seal around the victim's mouth with your own. Blow the air into the victim's lungs slowly and gently. Watch for the chest to rise, indicating that the air went into the victim's lungs. Allow the victim's chest to fall completely before administering the second breath.

Next, you need to begin giving chest compressions. It is best to have the victim's chest bare so you can be sure that you are compressing in the right place. Go to the center of the victim's chest, just below the nipple line. Place the heal of one hand there. Cover that hand with your other one, and interlace your fingers. Now, use your body weight and compress the victim's chest straight down. Be sure to keep your arms extended and your elbows locked. You need to compress the chest to a depth of 1 1/2 to 2 inches for effectiveness. Compress the victim's chest thirty (30) times. Then, give the victim two more breaths. After five cycles, which should last about 2 minutes, re-check your victim if no one has called 911.If help has been called, continue CPR until help arrives.

Now that you know when and how to perform CPR, let's talk about when to stop doing CPR.

Stop doing CPR is the victims shows signs of life. We hope this happens. If it does, place the victim in the recovery position and stay with them until help arrives. To place a victim in the recovery position, roll them onto their left side, slightly pull the left arm out and place the right leg over the left. This helps them remain in this position comfortably. Be sure to stay with the victim and watch them for signs of life. Be prepared to restart CPR if needed.

Stop doing CPR when help arrives and is ready to take over. Once trained medical personnel are on the scene and set up, they will take over. Also stop if and when there is an AED on the scene and ready to use. The AED will talk you through the procedure and tell you what you need to do. From the time you turn on the AED, all you have to do is listen and follow directions. Another bystander may also step in to help, allowing you to stop.

Stop doing CPR if the scene becomes unsafe. If you can safely move the victim, do so. If you cannot safely move the victim, you have to worry about your safety first. You can't be any help if you are injured too. You do not want to become the next victim.

Lastly, stop doing CPR if you become too exhausted to continue. You are only human and can only hold out so long. If it gets to the point that you have performed CPR so long that you just cannot go on any longer, stop. Stay with the victim. Resume CPR when you feel you are able to do so.

Now you know when to perform CPR, how to perform CPR, and when to stop CPR on an adult. If you want to practice the skills, and further your knowledge, I recommend taking a CPR course. Both the Red Cross and The American Heart Association provide CPR training. It is a very low cost course and can help you save a life. Often times, people do not perform CPR when it is necessary because they are not sure how to do it, they are afraid they might make a mistake, they are afraid of being watched by any on-lookers, some are even afraid of legal issues. A certified CPR course can help you get past those issues so you feel more confident in helping to save a life.

The information in this article comes from a certified CPR instructor.