Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may save a life in an emergency situation such as choking, heart attack, drowning or loss of heartbeat. CPR increases a heart attack victim's chance for survival by 50 percent, according to the University of Washington School of Medicine. A person trained in CPR uses techniques to keep the blood and oxygen flowing through the victim's body to the brain until emergency medical help can arrive and take over care.
Call for Emergency Help
Call for emergency medical help (911) immediately when you realize you may be doing CPR. While calling for emergency help, assess the area to make sure you and the victim are in a safe location. If there are downed electrical lines or fire nearby, you may need to move the victim to a safe location; otherwise stay where you are.
ABCs of CPR
Follow the ABCs of CPR. "A" is for airway: Make sure it is open and unobstructed. "B": Check for breathing. "C": Keep blood circulating throughout the body.
Check the Airway
Check the victim's airway by placing one hand on his forehead and the other on the back of his neck, tipping the head slightly back so the chin is in the air and the airway is open. If there is a blockage in the airway, only scoop it out if there is no danger of pushing it down further.
Check for breathing by placing your ear by his nose and mouth. Look, listen and feel for breath at his nose and chest. If the person is not breathing, get ready to start rescue breathing. If the patient is not on a solid foundation you will need to move him to the ground or it will be nearly impossible to do chest compressions. If you have a mask to place on the victim's mouth, place it on at this time.
Rescue Breaths
Pinch the person's nose closed with one hand. With your other hand, tip his head back and open his mouth, by placing your thumb on the chin and fingers on the jaw and tilting his head back. Make a seal on his mouth with your mouth and blow two breaths into his mouth. Each breath is about one second long. While you are breathing in his mouth, watch their chest to see that it rises gently with each breath. After the two breaths, start chest compressions.
Chest Compressions
Chest compressions are needed to keep the blood circulating when the person has stopped breathing. When you are doing chest compressions, you are doing the work for the heart muscle and pumping the blood for the victim so that it will circulate to his brain. To do chest compressions, place the hands approximately two inches above the lower part of the sternum, the bone that covers the heart. Place one hand on top of the other and keep your elbows locked during compressions. Make sure each of your compressions are about one and a half to two inches deep.
Continue CPR
Do approximately 30 chest compressions. Give two rescue breaths and then 30 more chest compressions. Continue this pattern until emergency help arrives or someone can take over.
Child CPR
To do CPR on a child, if you are alone, do five cycles of chest compressions and breaths before you call 911. Children are smaller and need oxygen and blood to their organs more quickly. Your mouth-to-mouth breathing should be gentler and you need only use one hand for chest compressions.
Tags: chest compressions, blood circulating, Check breathing, chest compressions, emergency help, emergency medical, emergency medical help