Picture this: you’re sitting in a restaurant when you see a man a few tables down slump down in his seat. His wife across the table starts yelling for help, saying he’s unconscious, but no one around is able to properly save him. This is a case where cardiopulmonary resuscitation was needed, however, there wasn’t anyone who knew how to perform it. Learning CPR can enable you to save a life if a situation requires you to use it.
CPR is needed when a person has stopped breathing and also, when the heart has stopped beating. This can happen when someone has a heart attack or a stroke. Cardiac arrest can be a dangerous and fatal situation unless someone is around to perform CPR on them right away. There are a few precautionary steps to take before you start using compressions on a person who’s gone into cardiac arrest. You must make sure the scene is safe, as well as making sure the person is in a safe position. Always make sure to tap them on the shoulder and yell, “Are you okay?” to see if they are responsive or not. Once you’ve made sure they need CPR, get someone to call 911 and find the AED. After the
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An AED is an automated external defibrillator and it checks a person’s heart, and can send an electric shock to try and restore the normal rhythm. Once someone arrives with an AED, immediately turn it on and follow the instructions it gives you. Open the victim’s shirt and make sure their chest is dry and bare. Put the two patches on their chest, one on the left side of their rib cage, below the pectorals, and the other on the right side of their chest, above the pectorals. When the AED tells everyone to “stand clear,” make sure no one touches the victim. As the AED analyzes their heartbeat, it will most likely deliver a shock to their heart. After that is done, begin CPR on the person for two minutes and listen to the AED’s