Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving skill that is useful in emergencies such as a heart attack or near drowning, where someone’s breathing or heartbeat has stopped. The skill includes placing the heel of your hand on the center of the victim’s chest. Take your other hand and place it on top of the first, interlacing your fingers. Press down on the chest about two inches and release.
Below are five reasons offered by HeartCert on why it is important to equip yourself with CPR training in order to save those around you should the need arise.
1. CPR Saves Lives
You might see a person suddenly collapse, lose consciousness, and stop breathing. The longer the body goes without circulation, the lower the chance of survival. By performing CPR, you are able to help the person’s blood keep circulating until an ambulance arrives and more advanced tools can be used. We know that the chance of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest increases significantly, by more than double, when CPR is started early.
2. CPR is Not Performed Enough
Would you be surprised to learn that bystander CPR is done in less than half of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests? National statistics have shown that only 15 to 30 percent of people who experience sudden cardiac arrests outside of hospitals receive bystander CPR. When people are asked why they would not give CPR, a very common answer is that they never received training. Other concerns, such as doing harm to the person, doing harm to oneself, legal risks, or concerns about infection, often diminish once people learn proper CPR techniques.
3. You Don’t Have to Do Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation
Another reason people report they do not perform CPR is because of concerns performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. In 2010 the guidelines for performing CPR were changed, and they now say that those who do not feel comfortable, or who have not received formal training, should attempt hands-only CPR. We advocate performing chest compressions even without breathing assistance. Hands-only CPR has been shown to be just as effective for many adults who experience sudden cardiac arrest.
4. Hands-Only CPR is Easy to Learn
To perform hands-only CPR, place the heel of your hand on the center of the victim’s chest. Take your other hand and place it on top of the first, interlacing your fingers. Press down on the chest about two inches and release. You want to repeat this quickly, at least 100 times a minute. And don’t stop doing CPR until emergency services arrives at the scene – recent studies have found that people may have a better chance of surviving with normal brain function when CPR is continued up to 38 minutes or longer. There are many places to find online videos, as well as formal classes, to see CPR performed correctly. The goal is to find the learning technique that works best for you so that you are comfortable if you are in a situation where you can save a life!
5. Most Cardiac Arrests Occur in the Home
More than 85 percent of cardiac arrests take place at home. In fact, there has been a big push, led by the American Heart Association, to bring CPR training to schools, which can save even more lives. So, take the challenge. If you don’t know CPR, learn CPR and gain the confidence in knowing that if you are ever needed, you too can save a life.
