Taking CPR course may not exactly be on top of your list; however, the difference of knowing how to administer CPR cannot be denied. Numerous states in the country are already governed with Good Samaritan laws, and hopefully soon, more states will join the movement. This is a clear testament of the significance of bystanders performing CPR on cardiac arrest victims. This bystander can be you.
It is important therefore that everyone knows how to proceed in situations that involve cardiac arrest. Knowing how to recognize a cardiac arrest victim can be vital. One of the things that the general public must understand is cardiac arrest do not just happen in a normal setup. Cardiac arrest can happen on trauma victims that have been involved in an accident.
If you see a patient that is lying unconscious and has visible up to no signs of breathing, assume that CPR is needed right away. First and foremost, take a quick look on your surroundings and check for dangers. Most of the time, the surroundings of the victim can say a lot on the possible situations that the patient has been in. If the area seems to pose no threat either to the rescuer or the victim, then administer CPR right away.
The longer time that a victim fails to receive CPR compression, the lesser the chances of survival he or she has. This is one reason why AHA encourage more people to know how to administer CPR in case of a sudden cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, the death rate for cardiac arrest remains to be significant. Thus, everyone is encouraged to take training and courses for CPR.
For bystanders, hands-only CPR is highly encouraged. This is an attempt to address the uncertainties of bystanders to perform CPR. Apparently, some people are afraid to perform CPR due to fear of getting it wrong and also of reluctance to perform breathing on the mouth. By focusing on the compression, bystanders can be encouraged to take action and perform CPR until professional help arrives.
Aside from CPR, another first aid device that can help improve the chances of survival in cardiac arrest victims is AED. This is an electronic device that pumps electric currents to help bring back the irregular beat of the heart back to its normal rhythm. AED is now being placed in several public places due to the possibility of cardiac arrest occurring anytime. It is a good thing that AED can easily be used by anyone, even those who have only seen it from afar. Thanks to the digitized instruction as well as the relatively easy-to-use features of the device. However, contrary to the popular belief that AED can magically restart a stopped heart, AEDs can only work when there is even the faintest beating on the victim’s heart. This is how CPR and AED works together, only CPR can help ‘continue’ or at least mimic beating of the heart to supply blood flow to vital organs as well as ensure that the AED can have a beat to work with.
