Archives for “Steps of CPR”
New CPR Guidelines – 2010 The AHA today previewed the new CPR guidelines 2010. The new cpr guidelines put a preference on compressions first over the traditional ABC’s or Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. The new guidelines now use the C-A-B approach. Persons finding a person in suspected cardiac arrest should: 1. Assess the victim 2. [...]
If a patient begins to move, wake up, or show signs of life while performing CPR, you should immediately stop compressions and reevaluate the patients Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. You should continue treat as indicated. Be prepared to resume compressions if needed. Do not remove an AED if in place as the patient may go [...]
Emergency dispatchers should advise bystanders to use chest-compression-only CPR on heart attack victims, rather than the standard protocol of chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth ventilation, according to a new study. The findings echo the results of other recent reports that have compared the two strategies. Continuous, uninterrupted chest compressions may be the key to successful CPR, [...]
The current American Heart Association Guidelines establish a universal compression to breath ratio of 30 to 2 for Adults, Infants, and Children when performing CPR with rescue breaths. Compressions should be performed hard and fast at the rate of 100 compressions per minute. In healthcare settings, 15 to 2 may be used on infants and [...]
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure for a victim in cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is when a persons heart quits beating. CPR involves rescuer provided physical interventions to create artificial circulation for a victim who is unconscious/non responsive, not breathing, and does not have a pulse. The main purpose of CPR is to maintain [...]
1:) Hairy Chest: If the victim has a hairy chest you will need to remove the hair prior to placing the AED pads on the victims chest. You may do this with a razor that is typically found with an AED or by attaching one set of AED pads and pulling them off forcibly removing [...]
Automated External Defibrillator’s (or AED’s) are devices that treat the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest by delivering a electrical shock to a persons body. What an AED treats is an abnormal heart rhythm called Ventricular Fibrillation (or V-Fib) that causes the heart to stop circulating blood. V-Fib is a heart condition in which [...]
Healthcare Provider Considerations: Healthcare Providers when performing CPR should consider the following considerations: Use of BVM or Bag Value Mask: A bag valve mask is a device that is commonly used in healthcare settings to deliver rescue breathing to person who is not breathing or is breathing ineffectively. A BVM delivers positive pressure ventilation and [...]
Mouth to Mask Breathing is the delivery of rescue breaths through a barrier mask to protect the rescuer from becoming exposed to the victims bodily fluids. Barriers devices such as a pocket mask should be used to provide rescue breathing when available and delivering rescue breaths. Pocket Masks are usually made of plastic and contain [...]
ABC’s of Life for Children (1 to Puberty): Airway: Same as an Adult except look in the airway for a potential choking object that potentially could be removed. Breathing: Same as an Adult. If giving rescue breaths, give a lower volume of air when giving breaths. Give just enough breath to see the chest rise. [...]
Due to children and infants going into cardiac arrest most likely to respiratory cause; one must consider the value of outside resources in the life saving effort. You should recognize that time is the enemy, especially in pediatric victims, and delay in treatment or care may result in a poor outcome. The sooner care is [...]
Defining a child: A child is a victim who is over the age of 1 and up to the age of puberty. Puberty is defined as breast development in females and underarm or facial hair in males. Puberty is used as the establishment of adulthood as developmental changes may effect aspects of CPR. In addition [...]
Rib Fracture: While performing CPR, rib fracture is common. You may feel ribs break, feel or hear bone rubbing on bone, or see free floating ribs on the victims chest. Chest compressions should continue without delay or modification. If the person survives the cardiac arrest their ribs will heal. Saving their life out weighs the [...]
Checking For A Pulse: Layperson rescuers should not check for a pulse while performing CPR. The average person has little practice in obtaining a pulse therefore it is unrealistic to expect accuracy during an emergency situation. You should assume that unless the victim wakes up during your assessment or shows signs of life during CPR [...]
The fundamental principle of CPR is that we want blood and oxygen circulating throughout the body at all times. Circulation equates to potentially prolonging and mitigating cellular injury and death. The primary intervention to be performed for circulation is Chest Compressions. Chest Compressions circulate blood and oxygen. When performing CPR with rescue breathing, give 30 [...]
Mouth to Mouth breathing is considered the easiest and most readily available option as it does not require any special equipment to perform. Mouth to Mouth breathing is performed by opening the victims airway (head-tilt/chin-lift), covering the victims mouth completely with your mouth, pinching the victims nose (to keep the oxygen from escaping back out [...]
ABC’s of Life A = Airway, B = Breathing, C = Circulation Breathing: While maintaining an open airway, lower your head down and LOOK at the victims chest, LISTEN for coming out the victims mouth and nose, and FEEL for movement on the victims chest. You should Look, Listen, and Feel for 5 to 10 [...]
ABC’s of Life A = Airway, B = Breathing, C = Circulation Airway: When a person becomes unconscious, they loose all muscle tone. The tongue being a muscle relaxes and may block the airway (trachea/windpipe) of the victim. The tongue is the most common cause of airway obstruction in an unconscious adult. To mitigate this [...]
Call 911 / Getting Additional Resources: If your assessment of the victim determines that they are unconscious & unresponsive or not acting appropriately you must call 911 and/or obtain additional resources. If you fail to call 911 or obtain additional resources you will be responsible for providing care indefinitely. An ambulance does not magically appear [...]
Assess the Victim: Upon finding a suspected victim of cardiac arrest and insuring your own safety – you should assess the victim for responsiveness and determine the appropriate actions for that person. You must remember that things may not be as they appear. Is every person found laying on a sidewalk or in a public [...]
If you are faced with a victim in cardiac arrest and you do not feel comfortable providing rescue breaths “Compression Only CPR” is an available option to provide care without the risks of expose associated with mouth to mouth breathing. Compression Only CPR is as it sounds. Rescuers perform the steps of CPR without giving [...]
Matthew A. Carter is the Lead Developer and Editor of FirstAidReference.com. Matt is an Emergency Medical Technician and nationally recognized EMS Educator & CPR Instructor. He has extensive public safety experience and has trained and certified thousands of individuals in the topics of CPR, First Aid, and Emergency Medical Services working across the United States.