CPR Safety Tips
What You Need To Know About CPR
Precautions to Take
Before performing CPR, ascertain that sufficient conditions have been attained. That is, be aware of your and the victim's location, if you are not alone request additional help (calling 911), etcetera. It is important to establish that CPR is performed in a safe environment that could not cause further complications.
Risk of Brain Damage
- 0 to 4 minutes after exhibiting symptoms: Chances of Brain Damage Minimal
- 4 to 6 minutes after exhibiting symptoms: Chances of Brain Damage Possible
- 6 to 10 minutes after exhibiting symptoms: Chances of Brain Damage Likely
- Greater than 10 minutes after exhibiting symptoms: Chances of Brain Death Likely
Standard Procedure
Follow the "CAB" succession of steps.
- Compressions: the first step to performing CPR in any event is delivering chest compressions to the patient
- Airway: after compressing patient's ventral cavity, pause for no more than ten seconds with your ear the the patient's mouth to see if he or she is breathing or not
- Breathing: If comfortable with doing so, give two one-second exhales during mouth-to-mouth
General Guidelines
If you are unsure of the specifics of reps, be aware of these general tips:
- desired rate of compression is 100 compressions per minute
- two hands generally work best for adults, as few as one work best for children, and two fingers work for infant chest compressions
- the desired ratio of compressions to mouth-to-mouth breaths is 30 to 2
Cautions
A few things to avoid are as follows:
- allowing the head to slump back making the airways obstructed
- neglecting to call for professional help after the minimal safety measures have been taken
- possessing apathy toward the situation
Call to Action
You know it is time to initiate CPR when:
- a victim is unconscious
- a victim is not breathing
- a victim has no pulse