The Importance of Learning CPR

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Let's hope you are never in a situation where someone is in need of CPR. CPR stands for "Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation". If you are CPR certified, you then have the ability to save an individuals life. As an Emergency Medical Technician,I went through special training, where I was required to have learn how to preform CPR.

Idealistically, CPR should be performed only by people who have received proper training, however, brain damage can occur within minutes without oxygen. If no one else can help, follow these instructions to perform CPR.

The first lesson that I have learned in the beginning of the EMT course is safety. If there is a situation where someone needs your help is unconscious,it is your duty to check if the scene is safe.Then ask yourself, are you safe .Take a look around. If the victim is in a dangerous scene, help him/her to escape to a safer environment.If the scene is too dangerous, it is better to wait for a rescue,fire, and police. Do not risk your own life,or else you are going to put yourself in danger.If you have a chance to secure yourself and the ill victim, do not wait too long and check if the person is able to respond.

The next step would be to check the victim for consciousness by shaking or tapping their shoulder and saying in a loud, clear voice, "Are you okay? Are you okay?"If they do not respond call for help or ask some one to do it for you. Call 911 or the local rescue number . Analyze the situation.The more help available for this step the better, however, it can be easily done alone. This way you will make sure you specifically sent for help. If you are alone, preform CPR for one minute (which is about two to three cycles of CPR) call the EMS, then resu...

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...about two minutes. It is about one hundred chest compressions a minute.After you are done with 5 cycles check if the victim is breathing, If the victim is not breathing continue CPR and wait until help arrives or victim will begin breathing. If the victim is breathing make sure to place him on his/her safety position, which would be rolling the victim onto his/her side, facing you. Make sure to monitor their breathing. When help arrives shortly describe where and in which condition you found your victim.

Knowing these simple steps can save any one in critical situations. As an EMT, I recommend you and your family members to take CPR courses, especially if you have someone in your family who has respiratory problems such as asthma. I have faced families that failed to save their loved one,because of one simple fact, they did not know how to preform CPR.

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