Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or also commonly known as CPR, is a very helpful lifesaving technique used in many medical emergencies. Some of the medical emergencies that may require CPR are when someone may be having a heart attack, stroke, heart beat has stopped, or their breathing has stopped.
There are some guidelines on whether you should give CPR or not, (despite official training). You are far off better doing something rather than completely doing nothing when you are within reach of a medical emergency. Before performing any kind of CPR action, just act reasonably, ask questions, get the person’s consent if they are conscious, find out what happened. If you do help, try to perform CPR, you are protected by the good Samaritan law. However, you’ll be better off learning on how to do it first so you wont kill the person!
If you are not trained and notices that someone needs CPR, perform chest compressions. Overlap your hands at a slight angle, and interlock your fingers while leaving them laid out straight. Kneel down, place your palms against the middle part of the person’s chest (between the nipples) where you feel that rigid chest bone, or the sternum. You will try to compress for about 100 compressions a minute (which is a little less than 2 hand compressions per second), at about 2 inches deep into their chest (if they are an adult.) This is called hands only CPR, do not try do rescue breaths by breathing in their mouth (could be infected, diseased, etc.).
In any given situation prior to performing CPR, always call or tell a bystander to call 911 to notify of a medical emergency. Consider 30 chest compressions (Be sure to count in your head) as one cycle, so you can tell the arriving paramedics/EMT what you have done. Besides CPR, you may also use a AED defibrillator if there is one in reach. This machine is used to send an electrical current to the body to get the heart working normally. Follow instructions listed on the machine. Do not stop CPR until you see signs of life, an AED machine, area becomes unsafe, Emergency services arrive, when you are too exhausted and unable to perform compressions any longer. Don’t be afraid to perform CPR itself, just be confident, aware, and protective of yourself.
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