Top Safety Precautions When Performing CPR

Every year in the United States, hundreds of thousands of lives are lost to cardiac arrest. Since medical personnel take time to arrive, the majority of cardiac arrests outside of a hospital prove fatal. However, if more bystanders receive professional training and CPR certification, many of these lives could be saved. CPR is a critical measure to stabilize the victim while the paramedics are on their way.

But how safe is it to perform CPR? And what safety precautions should you be aware of—for both the victim and the bystander? In this article, we answer these questions and more. Here, we’re looking at how to safely and effectively perform CPR. We also review some of the top safety precautions to be aware of when performing this life-saving procedure.

WHAT IS CPR?

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is an important life-saving procedure that saves lives. Following a cardiac arrest episode, the heart is unable to pump blood, oxygen, and vital nutrients throughout the body. When the brain goes even minutes without oxygen, permanent brain damage or death can occur.

In essence, CPR performs the function of your heart when it’s unable to do so. With a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths, a bystander can stabilize a victim until medical help arrives. Chest compressions pump the heart to circulate blood and oxygen throughout the body while rescue breaths provide a shot of oxygen directly to the victim’s lungs. CPR is also effective at responding to various other medical emergencies. In addition to cardiac arrest, CPR can also help victims of smoke inhalation, electrocution, heart attacks, or near-drowning incidents.

HOW TO PERFORM CPR

To perform CPR both safely and effectively, receiving your CPR certification is your surest method. CPR certification (which you can now do 100 percent online) provides you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to act in an emergency. Not only do these classes teach you the steps of CPR, but they also give you critical experience and foundational knowledge about medicine and the body.

CPR is a straightforward procedure; however, it’s still recommended to receive professional training and certification. To get you started with the basics of CPR, here’s a brief step-by-step guide to performing CPR:

1. Call 911: CPR is intended to be a temporary measure—not a comprehensive treatment. This means that you’ll need medical personnel to be on their way when you begin providing CPR.
2. Assess the scene: before you begin CPR, assess the scene to make sure it’s safe to approach the victim. The last thing you want to do is to put yourself (or others) in additional harm. You should also check to see if an automated external defibrillator (AED) is nearby.
3. Open the airway: position the victim so that they’re flat on their back. Then, you should open the airway by tilting the head back and gently lifting the chin.
4. Check for breathing: place your ear over their mouth and listen carefully for around 10 seconds for breathing.
5. Chest compressions: interlock your hands and press down hard and firmly in the center of the victim’s chest. Deliver chest compressions at a rate of 100 compressions per minute.
6. Rescue breaths: place your mouth over the mouth of the victim and give two rescue breaths. Watch their chest to make sure it rises.
7. Repeat the cycle: continue the cycle of chest compressions and rescue breaths until medical help arrives. If someone nearby is also trained in CPR, you can take turns to deter exhaustion.

TOP SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN PERFORMING CPR

For the most part, CPR is a safe procedure for the bystander who performs it on the victim of cardiac arrest. This is especially true if you opt for hands-only CPR. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t some risks. In rare cases, it’s possible to transmit infectious diseases when performing rescue breaths—but these cases are extremely rare and should not discourage a bystander from acting. Additionally, hands-only CPR completely eliminates this potential risk for the bystander.

When providing CPR, there are some safety precautions you can utilize to ensure the safety of yourself and the victim. One of the top safety precautions is wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) if it’s available. Using gloves can help you avoid exposure to any bodily fluids from the victim and a mask can be effective if performing hands-only CPR. However, time shouldn’t be wasted if you can’t locate any safety equipment. Following cardiac arrest, every second truly counts.

You should also take into account the age of the victim. While CPR is generally performed the same no matter the victim, certain changes are needed when applying CPR to an infant or small child. For example, when giving chest compressions to an infant, you only need to use two fingers and not your whole hand.

Finally, an important safety precaution when performing CPR is to have a solid understanding of the procedure. Providing CPR isn’t overly complex, but in the middle of an emergency, it’s natural to panic, which could even lead to inaction. By earning your CPR certification, you’ll ensure that you have the most updated skills and training to safely provide CPR. Perhaps most importantly, CPR certification gives you the confidence to make quick and decisive decisions, which in the middle of an emergency, could save a life.

CONCLUSION – TOP SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN PERFORMING CPR

CPR is an effective medical procedure that anyone can learn. Through a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths, you can keep blood, oxygen, and nutrients circulating through the body of the victim. In these critical minutes following a cardiac arrest, this can prove to be the difference between life and death.

CPR is a safe and effective medical procedure; however, there are certain safety precautions to keep in mind. Use personal protective equipment if it’s available and shift your technique depending on the age of your victim. You can learn how to perform CPR on adults, children, and infants by enrolling in a CPR certification course. These classes, which can now be completed from the comfort of your home with online CPR training, provide foundational knowledge and experience to enable you to perform CPR safely and effectively. To make our communities safer, consider beginning your CPR certification today.