Heart and Stroke CPR Guidelines
Heart attacks occur when something blocks the bloodstream or the heart needs more oxygen, which in turn stops the heart from pumping more blood. Stroke occurs when blood does not reach areas of the brain, which cuts off functions of parts of the body. When a person performs CPR on another person, the first person externally helps the injured person receive oxygen and pump blood.
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Basics
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CPR stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. When a person is unconscious because of heart trouble or stroke, another person alternately breathes into the unconscious person's lungs and manually pumps the unconscious person's chest where the heart is located, to keep it pumping and keep blood flowing.
Breathing
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The rescuer must close the victim's nostrils with his index finger and thumb, while tilting the victim's chin upwards. The rescuer must then close his mouth over hers and breathe two times.
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Alert
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The rescuer must make sure that she is pinching the victim's nostrils tightly enough that no air is let out, and that her mouth is sealed in an airtight manner over his when giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. She should also make sure that his chest is rising and falling as she breathes into him.
Heart
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The rescuer must put the heel of one hand on the bottom half of the victim's breastbone, place the second hand on top of the first hand and interlock the fingers. Pressing down firmly and smoothly, the rescuer must repeat 30 times before administering two more rescue breaths, and repeat.
Warning
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The rescuer must call 911 for emergency help before attempting CPR. "Cough CPR" is not recommended unless supervised by medical personnel in a controlled environment, like a hospital.
Related
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There are different types of CPR for different conditions and ages of victim, but the American Heart Association recommends that the layperson use two rescue breaths per 30 heart compressions for general use. Certified medical personnel may receive more specific instructions according to the victim's condition, sex and age, since they are more able to aptly decipher the victim's condition.
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Resources
- Photo Credit http://www.uofmchildrenshospital.org/healthlibrary/content/cpr.gif, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/images/ency/fullsize/1097.jpg, http://www.payrollcheck.co.uk/graphics/warning-sign.gif
