At this day and age, medicine and technology has truly improved in terms of improving the chances of heart attack survival. However, since heart attack usually comes unexpectedly, it is still one of the leading causes of deaths all over the world due to its suddenness. Heart attack chooses no time and place, and so, this is where the importance of CPR knowledge comes in.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, shortly known as CPR, is an emergency procedure which is done to manually preserve blood circulation in the brain, heart, and thus the body. CPR allows for the blood to circulate all over the body and maintain breathing in a person who is experiencing heart attack or unresponsiveness while professional medical help is still not available. Over the years, successful CPR stories have proven over and over again how basic CPR knowledge, alertness, and composure in times of emergency have managed to save many lives.
According to the American Heart Association, also known as the AHA, CPR is one of the links in what is known as the “chain of survival” . The chain of survival is a series of actions that, when performed correctly, can save a person experiencing heart attack. In order to raise the chances of heart attack survival, it is important to know what these links are in the “chain of survival”.
The first one is to recognize when a person is having a heart attack and immediately dialling 911 to get quick help. Next is performing CPR while medical help is not yet available. CPR can be done by putting both hands on top of the victim’s chest and manually pumping blood through the heart in order to keep the blood circulating. This method is also known as chest compression. Another CPR method is the artificial respiration; this is done by exhaling into the victim’s mouth in order to push air into the lungs. Since artificial respiration requires accurately checking pulse, chest compression is recommended to untrained rescuers. The next link of the chain of survival requires the use of defibrillators when available. The last link is the immediate life support care which medications and other advanced breathing devices.
While there are CPR trainings and certifications that can be achieved through accredited institutions for medical professionals, lay persons having the initiative to learn basic CPR can be helpful especially if a family member has a history of cardiac arrest. Hundreds of thousands of Americans die every year because they suddenly stopped breathing and no one around was there to perform early CPR. Anyone can learn CPR for a loved one in order to have the sufficient knowledge in emergency response.
While television shows and movies portrays effective resuscitation, this can give the general public an unrealistic expectation about CPR and its effectiveness and so it is still important to base one’s knowledge on founded facts and comprehensive training.
If you want to undergo a through CPR training, your best bet would be the CPR training programs currently being offered by Citywide CPR.
