One of the most administered first aids is cardiopulmonary resuscitation, commonly referred to as CPR. As common as the said procedure might be, there are still some things that people seem to forget. This is why it is important that you know only the facts when it comes to CPR, and debunk myths and misconceptions.
Most people believe that only the older people and those that have medical conditions can receive CPR. There’s no solid basis this one since cardiac arrest can strike anyone at any time, no matter the medical condition or age.
It is also important that cardiac arrest and heart attack is differentiated properly with each other. Cardiac arrest is a sudden halt in the heart function that occurs when there is a disturbance in the electrical activity of the heart that makes it stop altogether, interrupting the blood flow to the brain. A heart attack, on the other hand, is caused by a blockage in blood flow to the heart muscle, and at times, can lead to cardiac arrest.
Although it is highly encouraged that CPR be done right away to increase the survival rate of a patient, it doesn’t always end up successful. In fact, the survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests is less than 10 percent. Nevertheless, CPR can significantly boost the survival rate by up to 30 percent if it is done right away and is immediately followed by electric shocks delivered by a defibrillator. This is also one reason why by-standers are highly encouraged to perform CPR while the ambulance is still on its way and this act can make a big difference.
It can be quite scary for someone who witnessed a patient be in cardiac arrest, much less perform a CPR when it can be very important. Unbeknownst to some, each by-stander who will do the CPR and cause unintentional injuries like breaking the ribs while administering the first aid are covered by the “Good Samaritan” laws, as it is commonly referred to as.
CPR goes beyond bringing a person back to life. In the occurrence of a cardiac arrest, victims will be cut off the supply of oxygenated blood travelling to the brain. Without these, brain cells can prematurely die and it can lead to irreversible neurologic damage. At times, even when a person survives the arrest he may experience lack of speech or immobilization. Good quality of CPR can reduce the risk of neurologic injury and minimize its extent.
One good thing about the richness of web is that anyone can have access to anything at any given time. Videos and modules that cover the basics of CPR are valuable resources that can reach countless people. No one knows when these instructional videos can come in handy. However, CPR certification requires an in-person training session.
Due to the importance of this first aid, CPR classes are offered widely and frequently, unlike the misconception that only a handful of places offer this training. If you are interested to upgrade your learning on CPR, aside from the usual videos that you can see on the internet, the American Heart Association and Red Cross websites list CPR training locations by geographic area.
