For some time, bystanders witnessing medical emergencies have always been afraid to jump in and help revive a person who has suddenly become unconscious. One of the reasons why they seem to shy away from what could have been a life-changing moment is the fear that they might do more harm than good. With the recent changes introduced by the American Heart Association, however, when it comes to administering CPR, observers have noted an increase in a person’s willingness to help an unconscious victim.
The recent release of the new guidelines last 2010 when it comes to CPR has led to a number of new ways of being able to to administer the said life-saving procedure. If in the past a responder would have to start first by checking the airway and then administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before doing chest compressions, the recent guidelines has now placed more emphasis on chest compression. This means that a responder would first have to ensure that chest compression has been administered before checking the airway as well as giving artificial respiration. In cases where there is no one around who knows how to administer CPR, bystanders can do hands-only, also known as compression-only or continuous chest, CPR. In this type of CPR, the responder would only have to make sure that he or she administers chest compression for as long as possible.
So what is the rationale behind continuous chest compression?
AHA promulgated the change in how CPR is done due to the fact that, by placing more emphasis on chest compression, blood circulation does not stop. You have to keep in mind that it is the blood that bring the needed oxygen and nutrients to the various tissues and cells in the body. With the blood continuously circulating, albeit artificially, tissues of major organs are able to get the sustenance that they need. This, in turn, prevents tissue necrosis, a grave medical condition that can cause organ failure and, consequently, death.
Doing chest compression is relatively easy. The first thing that you have to do is find the center of the chest. This can be done by finding where the sternum ends. About two inches above the end of the sternum is where you should place the heel of your palm and start doing the compression. Each compression should be at least 2 inches deep. In a minute, you have to make sure that you are able to do about 100 compressions. In order to keep the beat consistent, most medical professionals recommend compressing to the beat of such songs as “Stayin’ Alive”.
However, it is still best to remember that chest compressions alone are rarely enough to revive an unconscious victim. In most cases, defibrillation is required in order to restore the heart’s natural beating pattern. Once the patient has been revived, it is also best to still have him or her be checked by a medical professional to assess if the patient is truly okay.
Prepare yourself by undergoing the CPR Certification and training program being provided by Citywide CPR.
