CPR... err on the side of caution:OR When kicking your patient is the right thing to do.

CPR & First Aid Instruction -: One of my pet causes to advocate is the neccessity for EVERYONE to have at least a basic knowledge of CPR. I would love for everyone to take a course, but I would be happy if people would at least have a basic knowledge of it. You never know when you will need it. Throughout my entire career as an EMT, the only time I actually used CPR was when I was off duty. (I'll go into that some other day.) For now, here is the abbreviated form of what I actually taught the students in my CPR and First Aid Instruction Classes. Ready? Here we go...

ADULT Cardio Pulmonary Resusitation-

What THEY tell you, and MY 2 CENTS WORTH

1. Check the victim for unresponsiveness . If there is no response, Call 911 and return to the victim. In most locations the emergency dispatcher can assist you with CPR instructions . My 2 cents (translation): Give the 'victim' a kick right in the arch of their foot. Go ahead! REALLY. Do you really want to lean over and give someone who could very well be toting a hidden weapon a shake? Way to lose an eye or get your gut ripped open. Of course use common sense here, If you KNOW the victim is truly in need of help and unarmed, there is no need to do this. If the 'victim' is faking (lying in wait for a sucker...I mean Good Samaritan...to rob) this will jar them enough to elicit a response. Next, For the love all that is good, PLEASE summon additional help. Do you honestly plan on performing CPR until your patient suddenly stands up, shakes your hand and thanks you for saving their life? So go ahead...call 911. Those additional seconds will not further harm your patient, but farting around and breaking his/her ribs while you play Ricky Rescue for a gajillon hours will. (YES, properly administered CPR can and most likely will break a rib or two...or three...) 2. Tilt the head back and listen for breathing . If not breathing normally, pinch nose and cover the mouth with yours and blow until you see the chest rise. Give 2 breaths. Each breath should take 2 seconds. My 2 cents (translation): Before doing this, ask yourself, do you KNOW this patient? Unless you know for sure where this person has been, look around and see if you can get someone else to do this for you. Unless you are carrying around a CPR 'shield' there is no way you can protect yourself from various contagious diseases or an encounter with oral decay. If you are not on familiar terms with victim, look around for someone who is. If you are by yourself, you will have to suck it up. PLEASE, don't forget to roll the patient onto their back before doing this. It is pretty awkward to try and administer breaths (let alone chest compressions) if your patient is on his/or her side. You will end up looking like you are making out with them. OH! And if the patient happens to be on the bed (sofa, what have you), move patient to floor. Chest compressions will be useless if you are on something springy. Fish your mind out of the gutter. Just think about what happens when you jump on a bed, and then picture how effective chest compressions on a bed would be. So, tilt their head back by placing 2 fingers under their chin and the other hand on their foreheads to ensure an open airway. Lean over and listen for breathing, you may also be able to feel their breath against your cheek . Now, go ahead and administer 2 breaths. And not 2 namby-pamby wimpy little puffs either. You want to be able to see the victim's chest rise (Air getting into lungs? Savvy?) If you do not see the chest rise, check for an obstruction of the airway, then give 2 more puffs. Wait a gosh darn minute! What about checking for a pulse you say? The pulse check is no longer taught or expected of the average Joe. It is just too difficult to detect a pulse in some cases. So, unless you are a health care provider keep the following in mind. if you see no signs of life (You know , such as breathing normally, coughing or moving) you can skip pulse checking. 3. If the victim is still not breathing normally, coughing or moving, begin chest compressions. Push down on the chest 11/2 to 2 inches 15 times right between the nipples. Pump at the rate of 100/minute, faster than once per second.

My 2 cents worth (translation):

Remember, when done properly , ribs can break. Just ignore the cracking sounds and keep going. You are keeping the blood flowing to the brain until help arrives. Remember, even though nowadays, the rule of thumb is 15 compressions in between every 2 breathes for both one and two person CPR, in the long run, it won't really matter if you don't get exactly 15 pumps in. It's more important to keep the blood (oxygen) pumping to the brain. CONTINUE WITH 2 BREATHS AND 15 PUMPS UNTIL HELP ARRIVES NOTE: This ratio is the same for one-person & two-person CPR. In two-person CPR the person pumping the chest stops while the other gives mouth-to-mouth breathing.

So there you have it. The italicized instructions came from this site: LEARN CPR! You can do it! So in all seriousness, please check it out. I ENCOURAGE you all to take a class. (I would like to demand, but that would not be polite. Besides, I HATED teaching the classes with people who obviously did not want to be there.) If you need help finding a class, contact your local fire department, your HMO, community center or hospital.

Spread the word, trackback to me with your blog, send it to your friends, but for Eru's sake, PLEASE take a class.

There. *Jumps down from soapbox*

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