Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is one of the most useful skill a person could ever learn. I became certified in basic life support CPR in 2014 and recertified every two years since then, but I never really understood the importance of why people should learn CPR until December of 2016.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation CPR
- As a kid, I was always in CPR classes with my mom when she took them for work and the one thing I remember thinking, from age 5 to 19, is that “I wouldn’t want to have to do this but if I did, I’d be ready.” 70% of Americans, on the other hand, feel helpless to act during an emergency, because they do not know how to administer CPR. Life isn’t like those cheesy videos that every CPR class shows about the person dramatically falling and a random citizen popping out of nowhere and calmly saving this person’s life like it was a daily task for them. It will never be as calm as they try to make it seem, trained or untrained, but the video and a trained person do have one thing in common. They are prepared. On December 26, 2016, I had to chance to prove to myself that I was prepared when my grandfather collapsed from a heart attack. There was screaming to wake him up and to get the phone. My sister and I scrambled to call 911 and ended up with the operators on three different lines. We had furniture shoved out of the way to prepare a space for the paramedics and all the while, my parents had already started CPR. Five rounds of 30 compressions to 2 breathes were all that could be given before the ambulances arrived. We were by no means as calm as the actors on the videos but we were knowledgeable of what to do and how to respond to the situation. And after sitting in the emergency room from 9 o’clock at night till 1 in the morning, I realized the importance of KNOWING CPR and not knowing CPR but taking it for granted. 88% of people more likely to need CPR in their homes, rather than out in public or a hospital. So, if 88% of people have some type of heart failure inside their home, then that would mean you will have to decide between saving the life of a loved one or standing by helpless while you wait for medical assists to arrive. Which would you choose?
There are many types of CPR: Advance life support which is used be medical professionals only, and Basic life support which is available for everyone to learn but usually just people in the medical field know this type of CPR. There is also Hands Only CPR which is the most common type of CPR for people outside of a medical background, such as teaching, engineering, or cosmetology. It is only two steps and will do just as good as a more advanced version of CPR in certain situations. First, call 911 or have someone call 911 for you. Second, complete hard and fast compressions on the chest. It is so simple that anyone can do it. There is no minimum age to complete a CPR class. It based off strength rather than age, but it never too early for someone to learn. Even if they can’t actually do compressions or give breaths, they can still know the steps and call for medical assistance. It is the little things that could save a life. In many cases when a person is in a stressful situation they tend to forget what to do, but that why fun videos have been made to make it easier to remember what to do and what not to do.
More About Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation CPR
It is incredibly easy to get involved in the CPR movement, and it will only take three hours or less of your day. There are many organizations you can go through to get a certification, but the most familiar one is the American Heart Association. They will all teach the same skills, but American Heart Association is more reliable when it comes to being recognized as being certified for work or school. There are many businesses in the United States that are go through the American Heart Association for their certification. A good one to go to in Georgia is just right down the road in Martinez called Pulse CPR. They have weekly classes at a business complex on Davis road, and also offer online classes for someone like me that has a busy schedule. I have gotten all my certification through them and they would be happy to get you started also. Just give them a call at (706) 901 7277.
