What is CPR?
Do you know what to do if someone should experience a cardiac emergency in front of you? Most people know they should “administer CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)” but a whopping 70% of Americans have no clear idea of how to administer CPR or have forgotten the exact technique. Yet there are ample opportunities to learn CPR or refresh your technique around Houston or even online.
Why is it important to learn CPR?
Almost 90% of cardiac arrests happen right in the victim’s own home. In these cases, patients’ lives depend on family members’ immediate response. You may someday save the life of someone you love—or they may save yours!
About 400,000 cardiac emergencies happen outside of hospitals each year. Immediate action is needed. After 4 minutes without oxygen, permanent brain damage sets in. From 8 to 10 minutes without oxygen, death can occur. About 89% of cardiac arrest patients die outside hospitals each year because no one administered CPR.
Is all CPR administered the same way?
Actually, although they are all similar, there are 3 different methods of CPR.
- The easiest method, suitable for the general public, is called Hands-Only CPR.
- Heartsaver CPR is required by OSHA regulations. It includes giving breaths.
- Basic Life Support is the third method and is what any person in the healthcare field needs to know. Healthcare workers are trained to give breaths as well, but of the three methods, this is the deepest level.
In addition to the three methods described above, the technique for giving CPR to an infant or young child differs from that given to children over 9 years of age and adults.
What happened to giving breaths?
CPR protocols changed in 2010 , eliminating breaths from the CPR sequence. Here’s why.
- The blood carries oxygen to all parts of our bodies. There is already oxygen in the blood and following studies results showed that the oxygen in the blood can sustain life when it is circulated by means of correctly administered compressions until help arrives.
- People are understandably reluctant to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to strangers. Especially with a year and a half behind us with wave after wave of Covid, people simply didn’t want to get sick giving aid. However, instead of using the compressions part of the protocol, they didn’t give any CPR. Statistics have indicated that CPR in its entirety wasn’t initiated in an alarming 68% of cardiac arrest victims.
- Breaths were being given incorrectly. When the correct technique is not followed, even if the heart is restarted, death can still occur because of the breaths.
With the changes to teaching Hands-Only CPR, statistics in survival rates have actually increased, proving that this technique is being used more frequently because people are less afraid to help.
Where to find classes in and around Houston.
Did you know that you can find free CPR classes at America’s ER? We offer classes that will have you ready to help as soon as a cardio event occurs.
Both of our locations now schedule free CPR + First Aid classes for groups of 10 or more off-site. If you have a group of 10 or more and would like to schedule a free CPR + First Aid training at your facility please email cpr@americaser.com to schedule your class.
