In cardiopulmonary resuscitation, getting the right beat is important. The human heart has an average number of beats, and this allows the blood to be effectively pumped all throughout the body. All areas of the body require constant blood supply or else they might fail and suffer. It is a known fact that if the heart stops, there is only very little time before the rest of the body ceases to function as well. This is because the blood that flows through the body carries oxygen, the fuel that powers every single cell in our entire body. This is why CPR exists.
Function of CPR
CPR exists so that even if the heart ceases its normal function, external forces can be applied so that the blood keeps flowing. CPR uses force pressed upon the chest of a person who has suffered from cardiac arrest so that the heart is compressed, keeping the blood flowing. The heart works by compressing and returning to its original position repeatedly, and at a very fast pace. The circulatory system of the body works hand in hand with the respiratory system so that deoxygenated blood can be ‘restocked’ and then used again to deliver oxygen to different parts of the body.
Following the Beat
The heart beats very fast, upwards of 100 per minute. For CPR to be effective, the person administering CPR should be able to compress the chest area at the same rate, and at regular intervals too. This can be done by following the beat of the song ‘Staying Alive’. This is a well-known fact and is one that hold true up to this day. Getting the beat faster is acceptable, but getting much too slow can prove the effort for CPR ineffective in the end. What is important is that the person administering CPR can balance speed and force so that the chest compressions delivered contain enough force to compress the heart itself, while maintaining a steady speed. This procedure may be draining to the stamina of the person trying to help, but it is important to carry on until advanced life support arrives for the patient.
Changes in the Procedure
As mentioned earlier, the importance of blood flow is the oxygen that it delivers to other parts of the body. If cardiac arrest occurs there is still plenty amount of oxygen in the lungs which the blood will be able to take and deliver. This is why there has been a change in the steps in the procedure for CPR. Before, it was important to clear the airway first, then perform breathing into the person, and finally doing compressions. Now, compressions have taken the forefront of the procedure, followed only by the optional fixing of the airway and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The second two has become optional because it has been seen to be ineffective when done by the untrained. Trained people are more than welcome to perform CPR with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation so that oxygen can be replenished.
All these information can be learned in-depth by attending a CPR training course, and getting certified while doing so can help a person who may need it, if the time arises.
