CPR Training and Guidelines

There are many websites that offer online CPR guidelines with the help of instructional videos and images. CPR is a lifesaving procedure and it is important that everyone knows about CPR, because emergencies have a tendency of coming unannounced. CPR stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) meaning cardio - heart, pulmonary - lung, resuscitation - revive.

Who needs CPR? A person having a heart attack or has had an accident like electrocution or has survived a drowning. Why CPR? When we breathe, oxygen is supplied to the lungs and mixes with the blood which is then supplied to the body by our pumping heart. If this process is hampered for more than 4-6 minutes, severe brain damage may occur eventually leading to a fatality. It is a simple procedure of clearing the airway, supplying oxygen with your breath and assisting circulation with chest pumps.

CPR Training and Instructions

The CPR training classes are available on many websites. If you have time restraints, taking an online course is a good idea but personally I feel attending a classroom training is preferable. This doesn't mean you don't go online, it is important to get CPR training and have reference material you never know when you might need it. Here are the steps to perform CPR in adults:

• Put the person in need of CPR on their back, tilt their head and lift their chin to clear the airway. Make sure that no foreign object is blocking the airway if it is, then gently remove it.
• Pinch the nose with your fingertips to prevent air from escaping. Take air in your mouth and place your mouth over the victim and exhale. Check to see if the victim's chest rises and falls, if it does, repeat the procedure one more time.
• Now put your fingertips on the carotid artery on the neck and check if you can feel the victim's heart breathing.
• If you don't feel the pulse you need to administer chest pumps to stimulate circulation. Place one hand on top of the other and interlace your fingers, now place your hands between the nipples of your victim. Keep your elbows locked and your shoulders right above your hands apply pressure using your body weight to compress the chest approximately 1½ to 2 inches.
• Sometimes you might hear the bones of the victim making a cracking sound, do not let this deter you, the victim can survive a broken bone but without oxygen there is no chance of survival. If you hear the sound, slightly decrease the pressure you are applying.
• Apply 30 chest compressions at the rate of 3 Compressions for every 2 seconds. After you finish counting 30, give the victim 2 breaths this should be done at least 4 times before checking the carotid artery for pulse. If you do not feel the pulse, continue the process until help arrives.
• If there is pulse after chest compressions use the rescue breathing method which is pinching the nose close and giving a full breath to the victim every five seconds until the victim starts breathing on his own.

You can also get free infant CPR classes online, here is what to expect when learning CPR steps for children and infants:

• Place your baby on your forearm supporting its head and neck, then rest your arm on your thighs in a way that the baby's head is lower than its body.
• Now use the heel of your hand to give five firm blows on the back of the baby between its shoulder blades to dislodge the object.
• After the back blows, turn your baby over fully supporting its neck and head. Now place the pads of 2 - 3 fingers between the baby's nipples administering chest pumps. The chest pumps should be around ½ inch to 1 inch, administer only 5 chest pumps.
• Continue this sequence until the object is dislodged. If the baby is unconscious, cover its nose and mouth with your mouth and blow air into its lungs. An infant has small lungs, so exhale little amount of air into its mouth. Give two rescue breaths pausing between each breath to let the air flow out.
• When giving rescue breaths ensure the chest rises and falls, if it doesn't it means something is blocking the airway, administer first aid for choking and then resume rescue breathing.

You can get free CPR classes at your local hospital, most hospitals have registered nurses (RN's) who run CPR classes to educate the community. Statistics have shown that the survival rate of patients who have been administered CPR before the emergency services arrive is 40 percent more than those who didn't get any CPR.

The government has now increased the spending in the health care sector, so contacting your local health department is also a good idea to get these classes free. The health department runs many free training sessions to educate the general public about first aid.

Another place you can check for CPR training is the Red Cross, they do offer CPR lessons and you can probably get the dates and time on their website. CPR is a lifesaving technique and is mostly used to assist victims of heart attack, hence the American Heart Association is also one of the places you could get free CPR classes.

It is important that every individual is aware about CPR techniques as they can make the difference between life and death. You can also check for CPR guidelines at your local fire department office and schools. Talking to your employer about CPR classes is also a good idea as some employers reimburse the class fees.