When it comes to First Aid procedures, one of the most important things that you would need to learn is CPR. This is because CPR can be used in a number of cases including drowning and heart attack. That being the case, most people think that getting a CPR certification is the be-all, end-all. In truth, however, it is just the beginning. In fact, once you have been certified, you need to make sure that you constantly re-train and update yourself about the latest in CPR.
So what are the newer procedures when it comes to saving life?
1. Hands-only CPR
Not many people may know it but you actually do not have to do the whole CPR cycle in order to save a life. At the very least, you only need to do chest compression at the rate of 100 to 120 per minute with a depth of about 5 centimeters. By doing this until the paramedic arrives, or until the patient gains consciousness, you are actually increasing the chance of his or her survival.
2. The CAB Cycle
In the past, most first respondents are taught that the correct way of reviving an unconscious patient would be to follow the A-B-C cycle. This means, you would need to check and make sure first that the Airway is open. This is typically done by tilting the head back. You would then need to check for look for chest movement and listen for any sign of breathing. At times, you might also need to feel for pulse. Once you have ascertained that the airway is open, you would need to do a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (or Breathing). When you do this, make sure that you are creating an air-tight seal around the patient’s mouth to ensure that the air is being pushed properly. After that, you would need to do artificial Circulation. This is usually achieved with the help of external chest compression. By pushing on the lower part of the patient’s chest, you are forcing the heart to pump blood around the body.
Currently, however, studies have shown that the ABC cycle is not as effective when it comes to increasing the chances of the patient in pulling through a cardiac arrest or heart attack. What most medical professionals suggest is rearranging the order to C-A-B. This means, you would need to perform chest compression first before checking the airway and doing artificial resuscitation.
3. Focus on the Quality of Chest Compression
If the focus of the CPR in the past is more on making sure that the proper steps are followed, today, medical professionals are putting the highlight more on the quality of the chest compression. That means, you would now need to push harder and more frequently without interruption.
The Bottom Line
No matter how confident you are with your skills, you need to make sure that you still undergo CPR training every now and then. It also helps to ensure that you familiarize yourself, too, with the AED management so that you would have an idea on how to make the most of the said device.
