CPR is an easy skill to learn but unfortunately a lot of people are still not maybe sure when or how to administer this life saving procedure. Statistics show that the vast majority of Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests (OHCA) happen at the Home and this can mean the difference between life or death for those close to you!

Even though we have seen on TV adverts that you no longer attempt Mouth to Mouth and only do Hands only CPR this is in fact aimed at those who have not been trained in CPR. But advice for mouth to mouth is you do not have to attempt this if you are unable or unwilling to give rescue breaths, however would you have the same concerns for a loved one!

What CPR does is to Buy Time until professional help arrives, the compressions on the chest pump the heart sending Oxygen to the Brain / Heart and other vital organs this also buys time until an Automated External Defibrillator or AED arrives to shock or stop the heart. If CPR is not commenced quickly after cardiac arrest the chance of survival drops dramatically.

If more people (bystanders) where trained to deliver CPR and the use of a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) this could potentially save hundreds of lives because unfortunately the minute someone collapse due to cardiac arrest the clock starts ticking and those life saving compressions with rescue breaths gives the casualty a fighting chance until that help arrives but the longer we delay their chance of survival dies too!

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is so so so easy to learn a couple of hours training will give you the confidence and skills to Buy Time until that help arrives, if a casualty is unconscious unresponsive and not breathing / not breathing normally you need to get help and commence CPR:

The Primary Assessment:

  • Danger –                Is there anything around that could cause you or other harm
  • Response-             Do the respond to voice, shake & shout are they unresponsive?
  • “Shout and call for Help
  • Airway-                  Is the mouth free from debris, vomit, blood, teeth etc (get it out)
  • Breathing-             Is the casualty breathing normally is the chest going up & down

No-               Go or Send for Help call 999 tell them whats happened & location

  • Compressions-     Put your hands together in the centre of the chest one on top of the first and push down on the chest about 2 inches (depth of a credit card) do this 30 times about 2 compressions a second after that if you are able to pinch the nose tilt the head back and breath into their mouth enough to get the chest to rise do this twice then start your compressions again this know as 30 compressions to 2 breaths or 30:2 AKA CPR

This explains what to do in an emergency but nothing beats the training, if you would like to learn CPR or more First Aid NDFA training run courses every week at our training centre here in Bangor Co Down, check out our website or call the office for our next available course. Thanks for reading our blog!