Do You Know CPR?

A staggering 70% of US residents would feel ill-prepared to handle a medical emergency that required them to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Considering about 88% of all heart attacks occur at home, away from immediate medical care, each of us could potentially save a life by knowing this one skill.

Any ability is better than none at all, but the more current the practice, the better the potential outcome. CPR technique has changed a few times since its initial use, so those of us who learned all the basics years ago might need to update our info. Here’s what everyone should know.

CPR Basics

Proper CPR technique can increase a person’s chances of surviving a heart attack by up to threefold, but that requires action by someone who knows what to do. Only about 32% of heart attacks receive bystander intervention. Even with CPR, a person’s chances of surviving a heart attack outside a hospital setting are only about 8%, so getting medical care as quickly as possible is vital above all else.

The CPR technique depends on experience level and the emergency at hand. Untrained people shouldn’t attempt mouth-to-mouth breathing in most cases, warns Mayo Clinic; instead, they should perform chest compressions alone, at the rate of about 100-120 per minute, not stopping until help arrives.

This advice diverges from that given before 1992 when mouth-to-mouth breathing was a mainstay in all scenarios. The American Heart Association offers a short tutorial on performing hands-only CPR on an adult:

The most recent guidelines recommend prioritizing circulation over airway clearance and breathing, whereas previous ones advised to clear the airway and administer a breath before starting compressions. Rescue breathing may be necessary in cases of near-drowning; call 911 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.

CPR in Children

According to the American Heart Association, except for infants, CPR recommendations for children are similar to adults. In their case, use only two fingers on the sternum in place of both hands. It’s important, still, to compress the chest heavily enough to circulate the blood, pressing down about 1.5 inches in infants and 2 inches in children, giving the chest a chance to rise back fully between compressions.

CPR is one of those few skills we all should know, even if it’s one we hope never to have to use. The American Red Cross offers classes in over 550 locations, so nearly anyone can become CPR certified. And honestly, we all should be.

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