CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is an incredibly critical technique that saves lives.
While many professions — from EMTs and childcare providers to flight attendants and swim instructors — require CPR certifications, understanding the basics of CPR is fairly simple and valuable to almost everyone.
When and Why Someone Could Need CPR
Cardiac arrest happens when the heart can’t pump blood, and it can occur in someone anywhere and anytime — even when you least expect it. When this happens, the heart cannot circulate blood to the brain and other vital organs.
The signs that someone may need CPR are they collapse, are unresponsive, stop breathing, and you cannot locate a pulse. Someone who is talking or showing breath movement does not need CPR (though they may still require some type of medical attention!).
CPR is instrumental in giving a person the best chance of survival while medical help is on the way. According to The American Heart Association, 350,000 people in the U.S. die from cardiac arrest outside a hospital each year, and immediate CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
The Steps of CPR
When effective, CPR can give someone without a pulse the ability to breathe on their own. Chest compressions are a key part of CPR because they help blood flow to vital organs.
A simple way to remember the steps of CPR is the acronym CAB, which stands for:
- Compressions – Chest compressions
- Airway – Open the airway
- Breaths – Give rescue breaths
But the breakdown is a little more detailed:
- First, check the surrounding area to ensure it is safe for you to perform CPR.
- Check the collapsed person for breathing or responsiveness. Try tapping them on the shoulder or shouting.
- Call 911, mention cardiac arrest, and ask them to bring a defibrillator (commonly referred to as an AED). If someone else is around, ask them to do this while you being performing CPR.
- If the person isn’t breathing, place them flat on their back on a firm, flat, and stable surface.
- Place the heel of your dominant hand in the middle of the unresponsive person’s chest (imagine a line between the nipples), and then place your other hand on top. Deliver chest compressions using your weight and pushing down at least 2 inches deep at 100–120 compressions a minute. A common tip is to try and match the musical beat of Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees.
- Tilt the person’s head back and lift their chin to open the airway and give two big breaths (each lasting one full second) by blowing into their mouth while pinching their nose. Look for their chest to rise and allow the air to exit after each breath.
- Repeat the cycle of 30 chest compressions and two breaths until medical help arrives.
These steps may differ if the unresponsive person is a child or infant.
CPR in Children
For a child who requires CPR, the steps are similar to those for adults and teens, with a few modifications:
- Place one hand on top of the other and interlace the fingers. Use the heel of your stacked hands for the compressions while keeping the interlaced fingers off the child’s chest. If the child is particularly small, you can use a single hand only.
- During the breathing component, if you don’t see the chest rising, double-check that the airway is open and try to form a seal around the mouth so air doesn’t escape when you breathe into their mouth.
CPR in Infants
Because infants are extremely fragile, there are additional precautions to take. When you need to deliver CPR to an infant, first flick the bottom of the foot to check for responsiveness and look for signs of breathing. Other important modifications for an infant include using your thumbs to push down roughly 1.5 inches during compressions and letting the chest return to normal between each one.
You want to place your thumbs on the center of the chest right below the nipples and then provide additional support by wrapping the other fingers around the infant’s chest. If you cannot deliver a 1.5-inch compression using your thumbs, the next step is to try a single hand.
Look into a CPR certification course near your location for more hands-on experience and to feel better prepared should an emergency arise.
Sources:
https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/what-is-cpr
https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/cpr-steps
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17680-cardiopulmonary-resuscitation-cpr
https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/what-is-cpr
https://www.today.com/health/how-to-do-cpr-rcna65104