When I received my CPR recertification last June my instructor recounted an incident she had heard about from a former student regarding the reality of those who may be too frightened to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (AKA CPR). We may know what to do, but what happens when it is time to implement the measures should someone collapse in our presence. The story has a tragic ending, however, it is a lesson we all can learn from. A few years ago a gentleman at a local road race collapsed and suffered a heart attack while on the course and even though people stopped to help, no one administered CPR. The bystanders called 911 and made sure the man was comfortable, but sadly that was as far as the help went. By the time the first responders arrived at the scene the gentleman was deceased. Unfortunately this isn't an isolated story. People are often too fearful of implementing a technique they only practiced on mannequins. And when it comes time to put this to the test, fear of doing further harm can stand in the way of helping another human being. Using the previous CPR guidelines, remembering the number of compressions to the number of breaths in an emergency situation can leave many people feeling overwhelmed. The fear of doing more harm than good takes over and sadly this fear can be the difference between life and death. CPR was first introduced to physicians 50 years ago and to the general population in the early 1970's. It is something that many of us learned in our high school health class and hopefully something that we will never have to use. But how many of us, unless consistently recertified, remember the number of compressions to breaths? Recently I heard a radio snippet regarding the American Heart Association's new campaign Hands Only CPR. This campaign was established to make CPR less complicated for anyone who may find themselves in need of performing this life-saving technique. One no longer needs to worry about the number of compressions to breaths--the idea is to pump hard and fast in the center of the chest until the first responders arrive. While none of us ever wants to find ourselves in a position to use CPR, doing so can be the difference between life and death for anyone who may find themselves suffering a debilitating heart attack. I hope you will take time to get certified in CPR by taking a class through the American Red Cross or any other certification program. And if not, take a look at the link above and know that we all have the power in our own hands to save someone's life should the need arise. Have you heard about the American Heart Association's "Hands Only CPR" campaign? Have you ever had to use CPR? Would you be willing to use this new technique more so than the older version? |
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