CPR techniques

yeah, here i share some 1st aid skills with u all. Hope u will enjoy it~

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is an important link in the chain of survival for a victim of sudden cardiac or respiratory arrest. CPR involves a combination of mount-to-mouth rescue breathing (or other artificial ventilation techniques) and chest compressions. It keeps some oxygenated blood flowing to the brain and other vital organs until appropriate medical treatment can restore normal heart action.

Cardiac arrest causes the victim to lose consciousness within seconds. If there is early access to the EMS system (Phone First! Phone Fast!), early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced care, the person has a chance to survive.

CPR techniques include 3 basic rescue skills, the ABCs of CPR; Airway, Breathing, and Circulation.

Open an Airway


Tilt the head back and move the lower jaw (chin) forward

A key action for successful resuscitation is immediate opening of the airway by positioning the head properly. It is important to remember that the back of the tongue and the epiglottis are the most common causes of airway obstruction in the unconscious victim. Since the tongue, directly, and the epiglottis, indirectly, are attached to the lower jaw, tilting the head back and moving the lower jaw (chin) forward lifts the tongue and the epiglottis from the back of the throat and usually opens the airway.

Breathing

When breathing stops, the body has only the oxygen remaining in the lungs and bloodstream. Therefore, when breathing stops, cardiac arrest and death quickly follow. Mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing is the quickest way to get oxygen into the victims lungs. There is more than enough oxygen in the air you breath into the victim to supply the victims needs. Rescue breathing, using a mouth-barrier device, should be performed until the victim can breathe on his or her own or until trained professionals take over.
If the victim is unconscious and breathing and there is no evidence of trauma, you should place the victim on his or her side in the recovery position.
If the victim's heart is beating, you should (1) maintain an open airway and (2) breath for the victim.
If the victim's heart is not beating, you should perform rescue breathing plus chest compressions.

Circulation

Chest compressions can maintain some blood flow to the lungs, brain, coronary arteries, and other major organs. When chest compressions are performed, rescue breathing should also be performed.

When to use CPR? (yeah, in the movie u can see the actors always use CPR, but in fact, CPR cannot be used simply and might be cause negative effect if it's used wrongly)

CPR is most successful when administered as quickly as possible, but you must first determine if it's necessary. It should only be performed when a person isn't breathing or circulating blood adequately.

First, determine that it's safe to approach the person in trouble. For instance, if someone was injured in an accident on a busy highway, you'd have to be extremely careful about ongoing traffic as you try to help. Or if someone touched an exposed wire and was electrocuted, you'd have to be certain that he or she is no longer in contact with electricity before offering assistance, to prevent becoming electrocuted yourself. (For instance, turn off the source of electricity, such as a light switch or a circuit breaker.)

Once you know that you can safely approach someone who needs help, quickly evaluate whether the person is responsive. Look for things like eye opening, sounds from the mouth, or other signs of life like movement of the arms and legs. In infants and younger children, rubbing the chest (over the breastbone) can help determine if there is any level of responsiveness. In older children and adults, this can also be done by gently shaking the shoulders and asking if they're all right.

The next step is to check if the victim is breathing. You can determine this by watching the person's chest for the rise and fall of breaths and listening for the sound of air going in and out of the lungs. In a CPR or basic life support (BLS) course, participants practice techniques for determining if breathing or circulation is adequate. If you can't determine whether someone is breathing, you should begin CPR and continue until help arrives.

Whenever CPR is needed, remember to call for emergency medical assistance. Current CPR courses teach you that if you are alone with an unresponsive infant or child, give chest compressions for 5 cycles (about 2 minutes) before calling for help.

The above information is taken from
1. http://www.nhtroop20.org/InstructionsPage/CPR.html
2. http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/cpr.html

For more info, pls visit the websites. ^.^