Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is an emergency medical procedure that is done to save the life of a person. Through this procedure, a patient is revived back to his consciousness after suffering a cardiac arrest or after drowning. Before anyone can perform this one, he must first undergo CPR training.
During the CPR training, individuals who wish to get certified would be taught by the different techniques and the step-by-step procedures to properly perform it. The first step taught by CPR training providers is attempting to wake up the victim. If the victim is not breathing, the responder must now call 911. After calling for emergency help, the second step taught in the training would be the performance of chest compressions. From the proper placement of hands on the chest to the exact rate of compressions, these things are being taught. Chest compressions would now be followed by rescue breathing or more popularly known as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. What would be taught for this step is the proper positioning of the head of the victim and correct way of breathing air. The second and third step should be done continuously as long as the emergency personnel arrive.
This is the normal procedure done during a rescue operation of a person who has suffered a cardiac arrest or got drowned. These were the things that the emergency responders were taught in getting their certification to perform CPR. There is however a new technique in performing CPR to individuals. According to an online article, the change in the CPR technique is part of a nationwide study to improve the survival rates of people who are suffering cardiac arrests.
The new technique was doing continuous chest compressions instead of performing rescue breathing. This is according to Ahamed Idris, a director of Emergency Medicine Research of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Idris told that the constant chest compressions led to saving of the life of Steven Shelley, an electronics warehouse worker, who collapsed while on the job.
Idris mentioned that the paramedics have a tendency of focusing on the control of the airway and to provide good ventilation since this was how they were trained. He told that the first thing to do after the cardiac arrest happened is to start chest compressions. The next thing to do would be to apply the monitor and defibrillator and determine whether the victim needs a shock. Providing rescue breathing would now be the last priority according to Idris.
This new training method helped increase the rate of survival of cardiac arrest patients by 60 percent in the Dallas County.
For those individuals who are looking to be trained with the new techniques about CPR can go for Citywide CPR, Inc. This company serves as a national CPR training site of the American Heart Association, Emergency Care and Safety Institute, and American Safety and Health Institute. Located in numerous locations across United States, Citywide CPR has been providing CPR training for more than 20 years already.
If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check our website.