CPR, Part 1

“I know CPR!” shouted the main character in the CPR scene of the movie “Back to the Future.” The movie’s setting was in the 1950s when mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was the accepted name for the emergency procedure. The first mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was demonstrated in the 1700s. It was however, only in 1972, in Seattle, Washington, where the first mass training for the new lifesaving procedure, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), was staged. In the late 1990s, medical practitioners coined CPCR (cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation), referring to the same procedure that saves not only the heart but also the brain. The more popular, and widely used term is still CPR.

What is CPR?

CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency and lifesaving procedure. It is applicable to almost all forms of emergency or near-death scenarios, including near drowning or heart attack or loss of consciousness, in which the heart stops pumping or there is cessation of breathing.

Who can do CPR?

Everybody can! If you’re a bystander in a near-death emergency, begin with chest compressions. You don’t have to be prepared or 100% trained to apply chest compressions on a dying victim. It is far better to do something than do nothing at all. The difference between your doing something and doing nothing could be someone’s life.

What if mouth-to-mouth breathing is an issue to you? In more than 99% of cases, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation will be an issue. If you encounter the same dilemma, you don’t have to try rescue breathing. Just apply chest compressions at 100 to 120 per minute, until paramedics arrive. This is known as “hands only” CPR, and it is now an accepted lifesaving procedure.

The procedure

Before you begin, give the person a tap and shake at the shoulder. Loudly talk to him, “Are you okay?” If he does not respond and there are two of you at the scene, one should call for help and the other should do the chest compression. Make sure that the person is in a safe environment (away from debris, smoke, or burning materials). If you’re alone, do the compression first and then shout or call for help.

The ABC or CAB

Check for A – airway; B – breathing; and C – circulation. Check for any foreign material in the mouth that might be causing blocked trachea. Gently lift the chin forward and tilt the head backward to open the airway. Do the chest compressions. Check the pulse. Continue with your compression until there are signs of movement or an emergency personnel is ready to take over.

(To be continued)