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Cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
The first aid involves the most important and first life-saving procedure in many emergencies. It consists of the few rescue steps to save the victim’s life. Every one should have the concept and the basic knowledge of performing CPR; including the doctors, nurses and all the health care team members as well as each first aid provider.
WHAT IS CPR?
CPR refers to the life saving measures to revive the person’s life; restore respiration and the circulation of the person, who has suddenly stopped breathing and is in the state of the cardio-respiratory arrest.
WHEN TO PERFORM CPR?
Wherever and whenever you find an unconscious person, whose respirations have stopped suddenly and heart also has ceased to beat; CPR should be started immediately.
THERE ARE MAINLY TWO COMPONENTS OF CPR:
- Mouth to mouth ventilation: to initiate respirations by supporting the victim’s respirations.
- Cardiac or the chest compressions: to stimulate the heart to contract and pump more blood to restore the circulation.
WHAT ARE THE PRELIMINARIES FOR PERFORMING CPR?
- Have a sound knowledge and training of the procedure.
- Assess the general condition of the victim; check for the level of the consciousness.
- Take someone’s help if you are alone; call 911 or any local emergency services and then start the CPR. Time is the critical factor so CPR must be initiated as early as possible to save the victim’s life.
- Never give liquids such as water to the unconscious patient; it may be aspirated into the lungs and further deteriorate the condition.
- Never keep a pillow under the patient’s head as it may interfere with the respirations of the victim. Instead you can hyperextend the head to keep the airway patent.
- Get started for performing the CPR.
WHAT ARE THE STEPS OF THE CPR?
The CPR can be done by using the ABC formula:
A stands for the Airway
B stands for the Breathing
C stands for the Circulation
Always remember these ABC when you are to rescue someone’s life:
- Clearing the AIRWAY:
- Lie down the person on the ground or a flat, firm surface.
- First of all the airway must be opened and cleaned to make it patent.
- Use a handkerchief or a piece of the cloth to wipe out the oral secretions.
- Now position the victim in such a way so as to keep the airway patent using the head-tilt and chin-lift manoeuvre. To change the position we should tilt the head and then lift up the chin so that it faces upwards.
- Initiating the BREATHING:
It includes rescue breathing by any of the two ways:
- Mouth to mouth breathing
- Mouth to nose breathing
Mouth to mouth breathing:
It is also known as the artificial respirations. It can be done as follows:
- Maintain the position given to clear the airway to start the respirations.
- Pinch the nose of the Patient with your one hand and breathe in deeply.
- Then tightly seal your mouth with the person’s open mouth and breathe out forcefully into his mouth.
- Repeat this for many times; meanwhile observe patient’s chest movements to check whether the respirations are starting or not.
- Always keep in mind that mouth to mouth ventilation technique becomes effective only when a tight seal is created. In an adult patient at least 12 respirations per minute can be given.
Mouth to nose breathing:
It is indicated in cases of the jaw fracture or some other reason.
- For this, seal your mouth to the patient’s nose and perform same as for the mouth to mouth ventilation.
- Check that the patient’s mouth or jaw must be properly closed before starting the breathing.
3) Restoring the CIRCULATION:
- Assess the pulse of the patient. Check for the radial pulses; if found absent palpate the carotid and the femoral pulses.
- Auscultate the heart beats; if you find that pulses are not felt it means that the heart has stopped functioning and body’s circulation has been impaired.
- Start doing the cardiac compressions or cardiac massage immediately to restore the circulation.
- Locate the heels of the both crossed hands on the patient’s chest two fingers above the lower end of the sternum.
- Keep in mind to have your shoulders at a higher place than the hands. Try to press down the correct site and kneel down so as to press the chest using not only the weight of your arms but also the upper part of your body.
- When you are doing the cardiac compressions, your arms should be perpendicular to the area of the compression.
- The force exerted by the rescuer to compress the chest must push the chest wall about 1.5 to 2.0 inches. The pressure applied must be 10 kg per sq cm or 20 lbs per sq inch.
- Compress the chest rapidly; release the force at once but do not take off your hands from the position. Press about 60 to 80 times per minute.
- In case you are alone you must do 15 cardiac compressions and 2 rescue breaths. If there are two persons after every 5th compression, one mouth to mouth respiration should be given to the victim.
Remember the ratio:
15:2 (cardiac compression: mouth to mouth breaths) if you are alone.
5 0r 6: 1((cardiac compressions: mouth to mouth breaths) if there is some assistance.
STOP THE CARDIAC COMPRESSIONS WHEN CAROTID PULSE RETURNS.
CPR IN INFANTS:
In the infants the cardiac massage is given using either two fingers perpendicularly placed to press the sternum or the two thumbs of the both hands press the sternum while other fingers support the back of the chest wall or the thorax.
Avoid excess of the pressure. Press only by 2 cm while compressing the sternum.
Disclaimer
This site provides you with the general guidelines and information regarding the first aid measures for the various conditions or health related problems. It is not a substitute for the medical advice or the formal first aid training. It will not be responsible or liable in case one tries to make diagnosis based on the provided information. You always need to consult the doctor and emergency department in case of all the serious emergencies rather than just relying upon the supposed guidelines.
