June 1 – June 7 is CPR and AED Awareness Week. The American Heart Association (AHA) has proved that knowing how to perform CPR and how to use an AED can be beneficial to those around you. Performing CPR on someone going into cardiac arrest at home can double or even triple their chances of survival.
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How to Perform CPR
There are only two, simple steps to performing CPR, and you can save lives if you follow these steps. The first step to performing CPR is to immediately call 911. Even if you are able to help the person in need, they are going to need professional medical help soon. So if you notice someone not breathing, pick up the phone and get an ambulance on its way immediately.
The next step is to push hard and fast on the person’s chest. Place the heel of your hand in the center of the chest and put the other hand on top of the first. Make sure these compression’s are at least 2 inches deep in adults, and 1 1/2 in children. You may break ribs with the force needed to start the heart. Start pushing down hard and push fast until help arrives, at 100 beats per minute. This is approximately the tune of “Stayin Alive” by the Bee Gees.
Even if you never have to use it, knowing how to perform CPR is a vital skill and could be the only difference between life and death for a loved one.
How to Use an AED
Along with the importance of learning how to perform CPR is learning how to use an AED. An automated external defibrilator (AED) can be an effective tool to help someone going into cardiac arrest. If you have access to one while a person is going into cardiac arrest, it is your best bet for helping save a life.
To use an AED, make sure the power is turned on. Open or remove the person’s shirt and wipe his or her bare chest dry the best you can. Attach the connectors to the chest region and be sure that no one (including you) is touching the person, as you can be electrocuted with the victim.
On the AED, there will be a button that says “Analyze”. Press that button and allow the AED to try and analyze the person’s heart rhythm. The AED will instruct you if you should press the button that says “Shock”. Announce that you are going to administer the shock, and make sure no one is touching the victim. After administrating the shock, begin to administer CPR until you see signs of life.
To take a class for more detailed information on using an AED, visit the American Red Cross’ website.
What Can I Do To Raise Awareness for CPR and AEDs?
As it’s CPR and AED awareness week, why not do an activity to help raise awareness for others to learn CPR? Maybe you spend an evening as a family teaching each other how to perform CPR together. If you don’t have much time to spend, perhaps you watch a brief video from heart.org and sharing it with your friends and family on social media. This is a good and fast way to spread some quick tips for how to perform CPR. It’s an important thing to learn how to do, and its always a good time to learn as we don’t know when emergencies will arise.
Contact Us If You Are Injured in An Accident
At Good Guys Injury Law, we care deeply about our local community and know that you can be safer if we all know how to perform CPR. If you are injured in an accident, please reach out to us for dedicated service to getting you the compensation you deserve. We provide service with compassion and integrity when you’ve been injured.