Knowing steps to CPR--an act of kindness & a responsibility.

The American Red Cross trains about 4 million people a year in CPR. Yet, only 30 percent of Americans are trained and certified in CPR. Four out of five cardiac arrests happen at home and 19 of 20 people who suffer cardiac arrest die. Usually, it’s a loved one. Ninety-five percent of people who suffer Sudden Cardiac Arrest outside of a hospital die. When we know CPR, we give someone a chance to live.

CPR training is different for children and adults. For each population, the techniques are specific. Since I was only trained in performing CPR on adults, this post reflects what I've learned. However, I will include a link to a video from you-tube. Reading the information below or watching the you-tube video is not a substitute for taking a training class and becoming certified in CPR. In a training class, there is an instructor to teach and guide you through the process of performing CPR. You get hands-on experience and opportunities to ask questions. You even get time to practice the chest compressions until you get the pressure right, with additional help from classmates. When I took the adult CPR course, they gave us a latex torso figure to practice on. During chest compressions, when the correct pressure was applied, the torso would beep.

In the past, performing CPR entailed chest compressions and also breathing for someone but today the technique is simplified and just as effective. According to research and a recent TV segment aired on America Now, there are important steps to performing CPR the right way. The old fashioned way worked, but this new technique proves to be at least as effective.  You can use the following information as a guide, but it is important to schedule a CPR adult training course which is usually 4 hours long, 8 hours if you include the children’s CPR training.

If you suspect someone has suffered Sudden Cardiac Arrest, based on my CPR training and the segment on America Now, the 3 steps to performing CPR on adults are as follows:

1. Call 911

2. Start CPR

3. Keep a steady rhythm going until help arrives.

A more detailed explanation is as follows:

• Call 911 or have someone else do so while you begin CPR.
• Ask the person if they’re alright.
• If no response, position the person on his/her back and start chest compressions.
• Put the heel of one hand in the middle of the chest and place the other hand over it.
• Press down using some of your body’s weight, not just the arms.
• Push down about 2 inches (Warning: Bones may break but they can be mended if the person lives).
• Pump continuously up to 600 times, stop to check, repeat. Repeat until Emergency responders arrive.
• Continue chest compressions, following the rhythm of the song, “Stayin’ Alive,” by the Beegees.
• Don’t give up and don’t stop. You are pumping air/breath/life into the individual and essentially breathing for them until help arrives.

CPR for children is different, so it is important to learn which techniques to use with children. The American Red Cross can provide information and training on the very latest techniques used for children as well as adults. However, the following you-tube video gives some information on CPR for children.

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If you memorize the rules for performing CPR, you might be able to save a life. However, if you take CPR training with the American Red Cross, (http://www.redcross.org ), you will definitely be prepared to save a life, if called upon.  Sometimes, survival depends on someone else, and it’s up to each of us to be prepared. There is no greater sense of helplessness than not knowing what to do in a life or death situation.

When faced with the challenge of saving a life, knowing CPR means we don’t have to be helpless observers. We can make a difference. It is not enough to memorize the rules. We all should enroll in free CPR classes or CPR training presented by the American Red Cross and become certified in CPR. Afterwards, we should practice until we feel comfortable with the techniques. The life we save could be that of a loved one.