One of the most necessary skills that a person must have in terms of first aid and emergency readiness is proper CPR training. CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a technique done to a person that has experienced some form of dire health problem. This procedure is usually applied in order to preserve higher brain function until proper medical assistance arrives. The process involves manually aiding the circulation of oxygen throughout the circulatory system in an effort to revive an unresponsive patient. By compressing the chest area by about 5cm and constantly pumping at the chest, ideally 100 per minute, the person may help the flow of oxygen as well as the heart. However, the method does not guarantee in jumpstarting the heart and mainly used as a form of support to slow down the shutting down of bodily functions. Delaying clinical death is the main purpose of the procedure, in order to restart the heart a defibrillator is need to administer a sudden jolt of electricity. When used as the main form of reviving an unconscious person that is suffering from a major injury, the chances of success is considerably low and those that do survived may find some serious health complications usually concerning a decrease in brain functionality due to the lack of oxygen suffered. Although the administration of the first aid procedure and immediately using defibrillator within 3-5 minutes has yielded the best results in medical reports.
In most countries, including the United States, CPR training is a mandatory skillset that is taught in most universities and seminars are readily available for those interested in learning this vital first aid procedure. While in statistics, cardiopulmonary resuscitation is not a 100% effective first aid procedure on its own; the fact that it can buy a patient a few valuable minutes is reason enough to regard the procedure as one of the most vital first aid procedures. 911 reports confirmed that most calls where emergent medical attention was needed, those with individuals who are knowledgeable about the first aid procedure, even basic knowledge was able to survive long enough for emergency personnel to arrive and apply proper resuscitation procedure. It cannot be argued the utmost importance of knowing first aid procedures as accidents can happen anytime to anyone, thus, knowing exactly what to do in these times of crisis can not only save that person’s life but also anyone else in the vicinity of the accident.
Some complications concerning the procedure however are still present. Injuries can still be sustained from the application of CPR and is pretty common. A fractured rib is easily suffered when adequate force is used by the first aid provider as the unconscious body will not be able to react in accordance to the pressure being applied to the chest area. Iatrogenic injuries that can also be suffered through the procedure however, will need added medical attention. These cases of injuries that can even possibly result in death are why proper training must be done; basic medical training should be a mandatory curriculum in all universities as it can be the only difference between life and death.
