CPR Full Form

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. CPR is a procedure that is performed during the time of emergency when the patient lies unconscious and under cardiac arrest. CPR is a combination of chest compressions and manual artificial ventilation to preserve brain activity intact. This is recommended in patients who are having abnormal breathing or patients who lie unconscious due to unresponsive breathing. The chest compressions should be at least 5cm deep and at the rate of 90 to 120 compressions per minute. Along with this even mouth to mouth resuscitations are given by exhaling air into the patient’s mouth. Mechanical ventilation is also given to patients wherein there will be the use of a device that pushes air into the patient’s lungs.

It is always recommended to opt for chest compressions rather than mechanical ventilation when an untrained rescuer is involved for better output. However, in children, chest compression might cause an issue since the problem basically lies in the respiratory system rather than cardiac.

CPR alone is not responsible for reviving the heart. Its main purpose is to re-establish partial oxygenated blood flow to the heart and brain. This, in turn, reduces the chances of tissue death-causing minimal damage to the brain. Mechanical ways to revive the heart include defibrillation, which is the administration of electric shock to the patient to get back the normal rhythm of the heart. The method defibrillation is effective only for particular heart rhythms which are:

• Pulseless ventricular tachycardia

• Ventricular fibrillation

CPR is administered until the normal rhythm of the heart is revived and spontaneous circulation returns or the patient is declared dead.

Precautionary Measures for CPR:

Before a CPR is carried out on the patient few things need to be taken care of:

1. We need to check whether it is safe for the procedure to be carried out.

2. One needs to make sure whether the patient is conscious or unconscious.

3. If two helpers are available on the spot then one person needs to call the emergency and the other person needs to carry out the CPR.

The person who is performing CPR has to be aware of three terms C-A-B.

C is compression, A is Airway, B is breathing and these three terms are coined by the American heart association.

The Procedure of CPR:

1. The patient on whom the CPR is supposed to be performed is made to lie down on a flat surface in the supine position. One must make sure the procedure is not carried out on an uneven surface.

2. The one who is performing the resuscitation needs to check whether the airway of the patient is clear by tilting the patient's head back opening the airway.

3.  Check for breathing, if the person is not breathing, and no breathing sound is heard for more than 10 seconds one should begin the CPR.

4. Once the CPR process progresses the foremost rule to follow is push hard and push fast. The hands are placed one upon the other in the middle of the chest. The body weight is properly distributed upon the hands and then compressions are started at least with a depth of 2 inches and a minimum of 100 compressions are given per minute.

5. In between mouth to mouth rescue breaths are also given, during this time the patient's head is slightly tilted back and chin is lifted up, the nose is pinched and the patient's mouth is covered with the rescuers mouth properly. Air is blown into the patient's mouth to make the patient’s chest rise. Alternatively, two rescue breaths are given following compression and this is repeated.

6. These CPR steps are continued with alternate breaths and compressions until the patient shows signs of consciousness and a health professional arrives on the scene.

Injuries and Side Effects:

80% of the cases are not injured during this procedure. The rest 10% sustain a minor injury if the CPR is not performed correctly. The patient is at high risk of damage to the sternum or broken rib or lung injury. The patient might also suffer from internal bleeding if there is any heart contusion.

Other minor side effects include vomiting which needs to be cleared so that the patient does not swallow it.

Reasons why you should learn CPR 

CPR is one of the best resuscitation techniques that anyone can easily learn and perform to save a person’s life. If you see a person suddenly collapsing or losing control of their breath, you can perform CPR to stabilize their condition. Below are some other reasons why you should learn CPR: 

• Learning CPR is not that difficult and you don’t have to be a doctor or a health expert to perform it. You can easily learn this resuscitation method from an accredited institute.

• By performing CPR, you can save a loved one. If you know the right technique to perform chest compressions or mouth-to-mouth CPR, you can save a family member from a possible cardiac arrest or at least stabilize their conditions.

• CPR makes other resuscitation methods more effective. If a person’s situation is critical, you can perform CPR to improve their blood flow and oxygen levels. When the emergency responders arrive and use other methods, there will be high chances of the victim’s survival. 

• With fast chest compressions and mouth to mouth, you can save a person’s life and prevent their brain from permanent damage.

When to perform CPR? 

Knowing whether you need to perform CPR in an emergency or not can be a little tricky. However, you should not react in panic and fear as it can worsen the situation. If you know the signs and understand the condition in which a person needs a CPR, you can act as quickly as possibly:

1. Unable to breathe

If the patient or the person is not able to breathe properly due to any reason, you should perform CPR immediately. CPR will help in the circulation of oxygenated blood in the body. Without oxygen and blood flow, a person can only last about six minutes. If CPR does not start within these six minutes, their heart will stop beating. With CPR, there will be less damage to the patient’s brain and a high chance of him/her surviving. 

2. Heartbeats stop 

When you cannot feel the pulse of the patient, you should immediately begin CPR. As the heart has stopped pumping, the person’s body is not getting any oxygen properly. Use your hand for fast chest compressions that will keep the blood flowing to the heart and brain. It will keep the situation in control before emergency help arrives. 

3. Gasping breaths 

During a cardiac arrest, the patient can breathe properly only for a while. After that, it becomes difficult for them to breathe and they start gasping. In this condition, you should start CPR immediately to keep the situation in control and save the person. 

4. Person is unconscious 

If you see a person is unconscious and not responding, you have to start CPR with fast compressions to stabilize their situation. If you do not act immediately, they might start losing control of their breathing. You can perform CPR on that person until the doctor arrives and uses other methods to resuscitate them.