CPR, which is short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is used to revive people who have stopped breathing and don’t have a pulse. Emergency conditions such as cardiac arrest, heart attack, or drowning require fast action. During CPR, the chest and heart are compressed, allowing blood to be slowly pumped to the brain. If CPR isn’t started at once, brain damage will occur quite rapidly – within two minutes after the heart stops.
According to the American Heart Association, 90% of cardiac arrest victims die before they get to the hospital. CPR, if performed within the first two minutes after the accident has occurred, can increase a patient’s chances to stay alive by as much as 200-300% percent if started during the first two minutes.
CPR training is often resisted by those who think they don’t have enough time to get into this, while others just can’t imagine doing mouth-to-mouth. However, the truth is that most CPR classes are just 1-3 hours long, while mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is no longer considered the most essential aspect of CPR.
Top 5 CPR Myths
#1. CPR is too complicated to learn and perform
With proper hands-on training, acquiring the needed knowledge and practice, anyone can learn to perform CPR, because it is like any other physical skill. However, is it really that difficult? According to the numbers provided by a recent study, after obtaining hands-on training, 86% of kids aged 9-18 were able to successfully do CPR.
Even though the methods are straightforward, viewing a video won’t teach you how to perform CPR efficiently. With an expert CPR instructor, your training will be full of facts and fun, and you can learn how to do proper chest compressions by practicing with a mannequin in a hands-on class.
If you are afraid to do something wrong or inflict physical injuries to the person suffering from cardiac arrests, keep in mind that CPR is meant for someone who doesn’t have a pulse or isn’t breathing. You can make things worse for them only in one case – if you become a bystander and do nothing at all.
#2. I can learn CPR by watching educational videos on YouTube
It is impossible to master CPR without hands-on training and practice under a watchful eye of a certified instructor. He or she will be there to answer any questions and handle any concerns you may have while you practice real scenarios.
If you are willing to learn CPR to save lives, then you’ll need to consider in-person training by savinghands.net.
#3. “Mouth-to-mouth” has to be performed on a stranger every single time
According to the statistics, it is more likely that you’ll have to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on your friend or relative than on a stranger, as over 80% of cardiac arrests happen at home.
In addition, according to professional standards, chest compressions have to be prioritized over mouth-to-mouth. It has been proven that chest compressions alone can be as beneficial as chest compressions plus mouth-to-mouth if they are performed appropriately. “Hands-only CPR” is the term for this. If the victim is a kid or if CPR is being performed as a result of a drowning accident, using mouth-to-mouth may improve survival odds.
#4. CPR often turns out to be useless
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is the process of pumping blood to the brain of an unconscious victim. Tissue death in the brain begins within three minutes after the heart stops working. Emergency response can take up to seven minutes or more on average.
However, in a situation when every second is as precious as gold, CPR can sometimes double the chances of survival for those who are experiencing a cardiac arrest, so look for CPR training courses near me to be able to save lives.
#5. I don’t have to learn CPR because, most probably, I won’t need this knowledge
A person who is not breathing or has no heartbeat because of a cardiac arrest, heart attack, electrocution, drowning, etc. may be saved if CPR is performed on him or her immediately. No matter how healthy you and your loved ones may be, accidents might still occur.
What will you do during is a CPR class? You’ll get the theory and practice:
- How to determine whether or not a victim needs CPR by assessing his or her current state;
- How to stay calm and cold-minded in an emergency;
- How to use AED (Automatic Electronic Defibrillator) if such a need arises, and so much more.
Who Should Get CPR Training at Savinghands?
First aid and CPR can and should be learned by anybody, including teenagers. Getting these vital skills is practically a need for the following groups:
- Parents to save their children in emergencies;
- Children as CPR can be successfully administered by kids aged 9+;
- Adult caregivers will benefit from CPR knowledge as they will be able to detect emergencies, etc.
After a CPR course, you’ll get a certificate valid for two years, as well as renewal if it has already expired.
