Published: 2018-02-06T13:35:00Z
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure performed on a person in cardiac arrest. CPR combines chest compressions often with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve a supply of oxygen to the brain until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing. Anyone can be trained to do CPR, it is a very simple skill, and could mean the difference between life and death.
We need a constant supply of oxygen to survive. If our brain cells do not get oxygen, they start to die within 3-4 minutes. Learn how to perform CPR with these simple steps:
Danger
Response
Airway
Turn the casualty onto their back if necessary and open the airway:
Breathing
In the first few minutes after cardiac arrest, a casualty may be barely breathing, or taking infrequent, slow and noisy gasps. DO NOT confuse this with normal breathing. If you are in any doubt prepare to start CPR. Sometimes a casualty can have a seizure-like episode when the heart stops. Carefully consider if the casualty is breathing normally. If you are certain that the casualty is breathing normally, place them in the Recovery Position and complete the Primary Survey.
Call 999 and send for a defibrillator (AED)
Circulation
Kneel at the side of the casualty and give chest compressions:
Rescue breaths
After 30 chest compressions, open the airway again and give 2 rescue breaths:
Continue with chest compressions and rescue breaths at a ratio of 30 compressions to 2 breaths. When others are available to help, try to changeover (with minimum delay) every 3 or 4 cycles, to prevent fatigue . Do not stop CPR until a paramedic or a healthcare professional tells you to or, the casualty starts breathing normally.
Remember - even if you do not want to do rescue breaths, you can still use hands-only CPR.