Back in February, I took a free CPR training and certification class at Sports Basement. Spots were limited and I had to wait months to get into one of the public classes. At the same time, I helped organize a private group training class for people from my office. More than 27 people signed up. I was excited for the class, which was led by instructor Tom Bates who works in the Search and Rescue field. By the end of the 3-hour training class, I was ASHI CPR- and AED- certified. I learned how to apply the latest recommended techniques on adults, children, and infants. I also learned how to properly position a person on their side if they’ve passed out from drinking (in case they throw up), and how to perform the Heimlich maneuver in the event that there is an adult, child, or infant choking.
More recently, Babe’s neighbor who is a certified trainer came over to the house to teach Babe’s big brother and his pregnant fiancee and two of their friends (a married couple with a newborn) how to perform CPR on a baby.
The most basic thing to remember when it comes to CPR is “30:2” (thirty chest compressions and two breaths). Perform each cycle of chest compressions and breaths, and DO NOT STOP until help arrives. More often than not, CPR will not waken the victim and an AED is required. If you are able to get to a phone or AED quickly, call 911 and grab the AED before you start CPR. For a child, do at least two minutes of CPR (approximately 4-5 cycles) before calling 911. If someone else is around, get them to call 911 and get someone to find an AED asap. One important thing to understand is that you don’t have to have prior knowledge or experience using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) device to start using it on someone who is unconscious and not breathing. Once you turn on the AED, voice instructions will start streaming from the device and guide you through the process of applying the pads to the chest of the unconscious person, on delivering the shocks, and on administering CPR between the shocks. Here are some notes I took down during the class as well as information from online sources:
Before you deliver CPR…
- Scene safety – scope out the scene surrounding the victim and make sure it’s safe for you to enter without becoming victim #2.
- Tap or squeeze the shoulder of the victim and ask “ARE YOU OK?” If the victim is an infant under 1 years old, tap the bottom of his or her feet and shout loudly to see if you can elicit any type of response.
- If there are other people around, tell someone to call 911 and tell someone else to go get an AED. Designate one person to do each, so that there is no confusion. If you shout out randomly, there is the risk that no one will call for help because they think someone else has already done it.
- Quickly look at the victim’s face and chest to see if there are any signs of normal breathing. If the person is not breathing, or is only able to gasp occasionally, then it may be safe to start CPR.
Start performing CPR… Make sure the victim is laying flat on their back. Apply 30 chest compressions, followed by 2 breaths, and then 30 more compressions and 2 more breaths. Repeat this cycle.
HOW TO DELIVER CHEST COMPRESSIONS
- Chest compressions should be made to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive” (70s disco hit) or “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” which are both about 60-80 beats per minute. A healthy heart usually beats 72 beats per minute.
- For adults (defined as anyone over 8 years old), place the heel of your hand on the lower sternum (the center part that holds your ribs together) and press down firmly, about 2″ deep. For kids (defined as anyone age 1 to 8), follow the same rule for adults and press about 2″ deep. For infants (anyone under 1 years old), place two fingers on the sternum and press down about 1.5″.
HOW TO DELIVER BREATHS
- Tilt the victim’s head and chin back while they are still laying flat on their back. This will open up their airway. Pinch their nose with one hand so that the breaths are forced into their airway, and hold their chin with your other hand to keep their head stable. Place your mouth over theirs and deliver two steady breaths, with just enough air for you see their chest rise.
- Use the same procedure for adults, children, and infants.
WARNING: Before you start mouth-to-mouth CPR, make sure you have a barrier to protect yourself against diseases like Hepatitis B and C, HIV, etc. This is extremely important and must be taken into consideration, regardless of relationship or age of the victim. It’s a good idea to get a CPR mask or mouth shield, which come with safety CPR safety kits that are sold online and at some sporting good shops, etc. You can also improvise by puncturing a small hole in a piece of plastic to create a shield. CPR should be performed without any interruption (you can switch off with someone else, as long as you keep the transition seamless) as it mimics the natural heart rhythm. Even if someone arrives with an AED, whether it be a emergency professional or not, do not stop until they have turned on the AED, have applied the pads to the victim’s chest, and the machine instructs to stop all CPR or contact. After you clear yourself from the victim and deliver a shock, immediately resume CPR.
WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE IS CHOKING
For adults and children over 1 : Recognize the signs of choking. Is the person’s face changing color? Are they not talking or making any sounds? Are they holding onto their neck? The universal sign of choking is the victim clutching onto their neck with both hands. If the person is able to cough, they may be able to dislodge the item from their throat on their own. If they cannot cough or breathe, immediately get behind the person and administer abdominal thrusts.
- Place one thumb over your fist, just above the person’s belly button, and thrust hard in an inward and upward direction.
- Keep administering the thrusts until the item is dislodged. If the person is a lot bigger than you, you can stand on a chair behind them.
- If the child or adult becomes unconscious, begin CPR immediately. Each time you go to deliver rescue breaths, look for an object in the victim’s mouth. If you see something, take it out. But never put your fingers into the victim’s throat to feel for an object; you could unintentionally lodge it more firmly.
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR BABY IS CHOKING
For infants (> 1 years old): Recognize the signs. If your baby is suddenly unable to cry or cough, or turns bright red or blue, the baby may be choking. If the baby is coughing or gagging, the airway is only partially blocked and you should let the baby try to cough the obstruction out.
- Call 911. If there are other people nearby, tell someone to call 911. If you are alone, take your baby with you to the phone and call 911 while you try to dislodge the object in her throat.
- Place the baby face-down and lengthwise on your forearm, supporting their neck and chin with your fingers. Brace your arm against your thigh for support. Tilt your hand so the baby’s head is lower than their chest.
- Give five quick blows to their back between the shoulder blades, using the heel of your free hand.
- If no object pops out, turn the baby over and place him or her face-up on a table or the floor.
- Place two fingers in the middle of the breastbone just below nipple level and give five quick thrusts.
- Repeat the cycle of five back blows and five chest thrusts until the object is dislodged or the baby begins breathing.
- If the baby becomes unconscious, begin CPR immediately. Each time you go to deliver rescue breaths, look for an object in the baby’s mouth. If you see something, take it out. But never put your fingers into the baby’s throat to feel for an object; you could unintentionally lodge it more firmly.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE CHOKING
- Make a fist. Place the thumb below the rib cage and above your navel. Thrust as hard as you can in a quick upward motion. Repeat, if you need to, to dislodge the item from your throat.
- Lean over the edge of a counter or table, a railing, or the back of a chair. Quickly thrust your upper belly area as hard as you can in a quick upward motion. Repeat, if you need to, to dislodge the item from your throat.
QUICK TIP: Cut a hot dog lengthwise or chop into pieces before serving, especially to children. I learned this tip from a TV program last week, warning people about the risk of choking on hot dogs. If you haven’t heard the news recently, there was a Chicago woman who choked on a hot dog and died during a baseball game. And in case you didn’t know, choking is a leading cause of injury and death in young children, and food is one of the main culprits. Because of its cylindrical shape, hot dogs are the food most commonly associated with fatal choking among children. Sources: http://www.hsi.com/ashi/about http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001983.htm http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/firstaid/heimlichInf.shtml http://www.parenting.com/article/how-to-do-the-heimlich-maneuver-on-your-child http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-parenting/2010/02/22/kids-and-killer-hot-dogs-3-tips-to-prevent-choking-on-food
happyfat diet : health + food + fitness for me and you 