How to Use a CPR Manikin

There are all kinds of tips and techniques to help people understand how to perform CPR in emergency situations. Groups like the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association keep detailed guidelines for how to administer CPR if someone suffers sudden cardiac or respiratory arrest. Another way people can learn how to perform CPR is by practicing on a CPR manikin.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Clean and sterilize the CPR manikin. Use soap and water or an anti-bacterial scrub. If the CPR manikin features changeable faces, you can simply exchange the face portion before use.
2. Insert the manikin's "lung bag." This device will be used to capture the air you breathe into the manikin's mouth. Remove the chest piece and insert the lung bag's nozzle into the spout located near the base of the manikin's neck.
3. Replace the chest's covering. Make sure the pieces fit tightly into place before you attempt to use the manikin to perform CPR.
4. Roll the manikin onto its back and pull the jaw so that the mouth is opened.
5. Clamp your mouth over the manikin's mouth. Create an air-tight seal. If you're training to use a CPR barrier device, insert the barrier at this point.
6. Deliver two quick, forceful "rescue breaths." Force some air into the manikin's mouth. The lung bags should fill, forcing the manikin's chest to rise. Breathing too forcefully may cause the lung bag to rupture, so be careful when expelling your first rescue breaths.
7. Deliver a cycle of chest compressions and breaths. According to the guidelines of the American Heart Association, you should administer 30 chest compressions, followed by 2 breaths (see Resources below).
8. Disassemble the manikin after use. Remove the detachable face so it can be cleaned properly. Remove the lung bag from the manikin's chest cavity.
9. Read more about the proper way to use a CPR manikin. The Red Cross has an official list of tips and advice to make sure you're using a CPR manikin in the safest and most productive manner (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• While the basic steps to use a CPR manikin will be the same between the various makes and models, you should still read the instruction manual unique to your manikin. Ask for advice from a trained CPR instructor.
• Because a CPR manikin is used to train many different individuals, there's a risk of spreading germs and diseases. However, this risk is relatively small. By following the proper sanitary rules, you can be fairly certain that sharing a CPR manikin won't spread serious disease.