Cpr Essay, Research Paper

CPR

Knowing how to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to adults, children, and infants, especially with a bag mask valve (BMV), is essential for all responsible adults. The procedures are clearly prescribed and cumulative for each age group. A close examination of the steps, along with training under the careful watch of an instructor, can help restore consciousness.

To perform CPR to an adult, you should first check to ascertain if the person is conscious. Do this by tapping or shaking the person or by shouting “Are you OK?” If the person does not respond, you should check to see if he/she is breathing. Move to a position so that your ear is near the person’s mouth and nose; face the person’s chest. Look at the person, listen for any noises, and feel the body for about five seconds. If you do not see, hear, or sense any breathing, position the person so that he/she is lying on his/her back. Roll the person as a single unit , supporting the head and neck. Next, you must open the airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin. At this point, recheck for breathing. Once again, look, listen, and feel for about five seconds. If the person is still not breathing, keep the head tilted back, pinch the nose shut, and seal your lips tightly around the person’s mouth. Give two slow breaths each lasting about one and a half seconds. Carefully watch to see that the breaths go into the person’s mouth. Now, check for a pulse. In order to do this, you must locate the Adam’s apple by sliding your fingers down into the groove of the neck on the side closest to you. Keep your fingers there for about five to ten seconds. If the person does not have a pulse, begin CPR. You must first locate the proper hand position. Your hand must be at the notch at the lower end of the victim’s sternum. Place the heel of your other hand on the sternum next to your fingers. Now remove the hand that your first placed on the notch and place it on top of the other hand. Keep your fingers off of the chest. Begin to give fifteen compressions. With your shoulders over your hands, compress the sternum by approximately one and a half to two inches. Perform fifteen compressions in about ten seconds. Press down and up smoothly, keeping your hand in contact with the victim’s chest at all times. When you complete the fifteen compressions, you will once again breathe two slow breaths into the mouth, just exactly as you did prior to beginning the CPR. Open the airway by tilting the head and lifting the chin. Pinch the person’s nose shut and seal your lips tightly around the victim’s mouth. Give two slow breaths, each lasting about one and a half seconds. Again, watch the chest to see that your breath goes into the person’s mouth. Then repeat the compression breathing cycle of fifteen compressions and two breaths. After about one minute, feel for a pulse for about five second. If the person has a pulse but is still not breathing, do rescue breathing by giving the victim one slow breath every five seconds or about twelve breaths every minute. After that minute, recheck the pulse. If the person does not have a pulse and is not breathing, continue compressions/breathing cycles. Locate the correct hand position each time. Continue the cycles of fifteen compressions and two slow breaths and recheck pulse and breathing every five minutes.

CPR for a child is almost the same as that for an adult except for a few minor adaptations. First, check to see if the child is conscious. Tap or gently shake the child’s shoulder. If the child does not respond, check to determine if he/she is breathing. Place your ear near the child’s mouth and nose. Look, listen, and feel for about five seconds. If the child is not breathing or if you can not tell if he/she is breathing, place the child on his/her back. Roll the child onto his/her back while you support the head and neck. Open the airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin. Now recheck for breathing as you did before. Once again, look, listen, and feel for about five seconds. If the child is not breathing, keep his/her head tilted back. Seal your lips tightly around the child’s mouth. Give two slow breaths, each lasting about one and a half seconds. Be certain the air you breathe goes into the child’s mouth. Now, check for a pulse by locating the child’s Adam’s apple. To do this, slide your fingers down into the groove of his/her neck on the side near you. Using your fingers, feel for a pulse for five to ten seconds. If the child does not have a pulse, begin CPR. Find the exact position for your hand; continue tilting the head and lifting the chin by keeping one hand on the child’s forehead. Locate the notch at the lower end of the sternum with your other hand. Place the heel of the same hand on the sternum immediately above where your fingers were placed. Now, give five compressions with your shoulders directly over your hand. Compress the sternum one to one and a half inches. Do these five compressions in about three seconds. Compress down and up smoothly, keeping you hand in contact with the chest and forehead at all times. Give one slow breath after you open the airway by tilting the head and lifting the chin. Pinch the child nose shut and seal your lips tightly around the child’s mouth. Give one show breath lasting about one and a half seconds. Watch the child’s chest to see that your breath enters his/her mouth. Repeat the compression/breathing cycles with five compressions and one breath. Recheck the pulse about approximately one minute. Feel for a pulse for about five seconds. If the child now has a pulse and is breathing, keep the airway open and monitor the breathing. If the child has a pulse but is not breathing, continue the compressions/ breathing cycle. Locate the correct hand positions and continue cycles of five compressions for every breath. Recheck pulse every few minutes or after every cycle lasting a minute.

CPR for an infant differs from the procedures above For an infant, you must first check for consciousness by thumping under the infant’s foot or by shaking him/her gently at the shoulder. If the infant does not respond, check for breathing. Do this by placing your ear near the infant’s mouth and nose; look, listen, and feel the infant’s body for about five seconds. If the infant is not breathing or if you cannot tell if the baby is breathing, move the infant on its back while you support the head and neck. Open the airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin. Now, recheck for breathing by looking, listening, and feeling for about five seconds. If the infant is not breathing, begin rescue breathing. To perform this procedure, keep the head tilted back and seal your lips tightly around the infant’s mouth and nose. Give two slow breaths into the baby’s mouth, each lasting about one and a half seconds. Watch to be certain that your air goes into the infant’s mouth. Next, check for a pulse by locating the infant brachial pulse which can be found on the inside of the infant’s arm, just below his/her biceps. Place your fingers on the inside of the baby’s upper arm approximately midway between his/her elbow and shoulder. Fell for a pulse for five to ten seconds. If the infant does not have a pulse begin CPR. Carefully find the proper hand position while you tilt the head and lift the chin with your hand on the infant’s forehead. Place the tips of your fingers along an imaginary line which stretches across the infant’s chest connecting the nipples. Raise your index finger and adjust any finger positions, if necessary to stretch across the chest. Now, give five compressions with your hand positioned over hour fingers. Compress the sternum one half inch to one inch. Perform five compressions in about three seconds. Compress up and down smoothly, keeping your fingers in contact with the chest at all times. Continue holding the head in a tilted position and the chin lifted with you hand on the forehead. When you finish the five compressions, give one slow breath even as you keep your fingers in contact with the chest. Seal your lips tightly around the infant’s mouth and nose. Give one slow breath lasting about one and a half second. Watch the baby’s chest to see that your breath enters the mouth. Repeat breathing cycles consisting of five compressions and one breath. Recheck for a pulse after one minute; feel for brachial pulse for about five seconds. If the infant has a pulse and is breathing keep the airway open, monitor breathing, and wait for an emergency medical services (EMS) personal to arrive. If the infant has a pulse but is still not breathing, resume rescue breathing. On the other hand, if the infant does not have a pulse and is not breathing, continue the compression/breathing cycles. Remember to first locate the correct compression position. Continue the cycles of five compressions and breath. Then recheck for a pulse every few minutes.

Two-rescuer CPR is used when two or more trained people are present at the scene. The first person completes the primary survey by checking for consciousness and positioning the person. He/she opens the airway and checks for breathing. The next step is to give two slow breaths and then check for a pulse. The first person next informs the second that there is “No pulse” if he cannot find one. The second rescuer should then determine the correct hand position and give five compressions. In fact, the second person should locate the hand position while the first is checking for a pulse. The five compressions should occur in about four seconds, beginning immediately after the first rescuer announces “Begin CPR.” Both rescuers should count out loud, “One and, two and, three and, four and, five.” They then stop the compressions and allow one of the rescuers to give breaths to the victim. The first rescuer gives one slow breath lasting about one and a half seconds. Then, both rescuers continue CPR. Repeat the cycles of five compressions and one breath. The rescuer who gives breaths periodically checks the effectiveness of the compressions by checking for a pulse while his/her partner gives compressions. Recheck the pulse and breath at the end of the first minute; listen for about five seconds. If the victim has a pulse, then recheck his/her breathing. If the victim is not breathing, perform rescue breathing. Recheck for a pulse every few minutes. If the victim does not have a pulse still, say, “no pulse, continue CPR.” Continue CPR and recheck for a pulse few minutes. If the compressor needs to change positions with the other rescuer, he/she says, “Change and, two and, three and, four and, five.” Both of the rescuers changes positions even as they stay on the same side of the victim. Complete one slow breath at the end of the “change” cycle; then, move quickly to the person’s chest and the hand position. Wait for a signal to begin compressions; Move quickly as you change from compressor to ventilator. Feel for a pulse for about five seconds; then say, “No pulse, continue CPR.” The new compressor begins the compression cycle, and the new ventilator periodically checks for the effectiveness of the compressions and rechecks pulse and breathing every few minutes.

CPR should not be performed unless one is trained in the procedures. Each step in the process is vitally important. Even though the steps may seem repetitive, the routine must be followed exactly as outlined above. Knowing the process and performing it as a standardized routine has saved the lives of many adults, children, and infants.