Hey You, Let Us Get That Heart Flutterin’ and Save a Life!
Have you also been taken aback and felt helpless when someone you love just collapses in front of you? Imagine someone screaming out of nowhere, and when you look around, you find a person unresponsive, lying motionless, panting for a few more breaths. In this worst-case scenario, many do not know how to act and wait till the paramedics arrive. But what if there is something that you could actually do to save that person’s life? Hands-on CPR is your rescue plan! If the touchy-geeky term gives you willies, then do not worry; keep reading further for all the intelligence on hands-only CPR.
1. A Foreign Concept for You?
Otherwise known as hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation and compression-only resuscitation, hands-only CPR is an effective method to help resuscitate any individual – man, woman, or child, in the event of a cardiac arrest. A cardiac arrest refers to a critical medical condition wherein the heart stops functioning all of a sudden, starving blood and oxygen to the rest of the body. People having cardiac arrest may experience chest pain, breathlessness, and pounding heart palpitations, eventually leading to loss of consciousness and a collapse.
2. Let Us Rebut the False Premise?
Sometimes, people often feel that hands-only CPR is not efficient and hence deem it as nugatory or ineffectual. But this premise, in no way, shape, or form, is true. Hands-only CPR or the compression-only resuscitation method requires one to push firmly and swiftly on the victim’s chest, in the central region to be precise. This helps pump blood to various parts of the body when the heart fails to do so, thereby preventing fatal complications and death.
3. Let Us Get to the Nitty Gritty Details
After ensuring a safe site for both you and the victim, look for any unusual breathing signs, such as gasping for air or wheezing. If the patient does not respond to your calls, then call 911 and begin CPR without any delay. To begin with, place the heel of your hand on the victim’s chest, in the central region, and place the heel of the other hand on top of the first, allowing your fingers to intertwine. Secure the position while keeping your arms straight while positioning your body to ensure that your shoulders are above your arms. Keep compressing hard, fast, and deep at 100 to 120 beats per minute until the emergency services arrive. But remember, if the victim falls between the ages of one and eight years, you should use just one hand for the compressions.
4. The Escape Clause or the Saving Clause?
The goal of hands-on CPR is to keep the victim’s blood pumping so that the paramedics, on their arrival, can initiate sophisticated life support methods. Although it is a laborious and intensive task, hands-on CPR doubles and triples the victim’s rate of survival. It also ensures that the brain is not starved of oxygen, blood, and nutrients when the heart stops functioning. Not just that, it is also pandemic-safe, meaning the bystanders can help save a victim’s life, even if they lack medical knowledge. It is also quick and easy to learn!
5. Oh, Tomato Tomahto?
Hands-on CPR and conventional CPR may have an ocean of commonalities, with both methods aimed at saving lives; the only exception lies in the fact that hands-on CPR does not involve rescue breath, while the latter does. This makes hands-on CPR less taxing, allowing the caregiver to continue with the compressions for a longer time. Also makes hands-on CPR less intimidating, and with just a few rounds of practice, you can be trained as a swallow!
Long story short, although you might ace the game of smothering people with hospitality and affection, hands-on CPR is an indispensable skill that you should work on so that you can give the hearts what they want, whenever and wherever!
