Hundreds of individuals expertise cardiac arrest annually. CPR will be life-saving. : NPR

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

Yearly, greater than 350,000 folks go into cardiac arrest exterior of a hospital within the U.S. Which means their coronary heart stops beating. Solely about 40% of them get CPR from a bystander.

KATHERINE Y BROWN: A cardiac arrest can occur to anybody at any time, and simply doing CPR, you’ll be able to double and triple survival charges, and that is what we’d like. We want lives to be saved.

DETROW: That’s Katherine Y. Brown, the founding father of Be taught CPR America. Life Package host Marielle Segarra spoke with Brown and took a CPR class.

MARIELLE SEGARRA, BYLINE: Step one to CPR – if you happen to see somebody unresponsive, make sure that it is secure to method, like there are not any automobiles coming, nothing’s on hearth. Subsequent, as an example the individual is mendacity on the ground. You are gonna kneel subsequent to them and faucet as onerous as you’ll be able to on their shoulders. This is Katherine Y. Brown once more.

BROWN: You are going to say, hey, are you OK? You are searching for any indicators of life. Do you see that chest rising or falling? Do you’re feeling any airflow? If you happen to do not see any indicators of life in any respect, shortly name 911.

SEGARRA: If you happen to’re the one individual round, put 911 on speakerphone whilst you begin CPR. But when there are different bystanders, inform one among them to make the decision.

BROWN: I wish to say, you within the orange shirt or the pink shirt or if you recognize the individual by title. Simply make it possible for they know it is them and that you just see and acknowledge that they really name for assist.

SEGARRA: Now it is time to begin chest compressions. Kneel on the individual’s facet, put one hand over the opposite and press with the heel of your hand within the heart of their chest.

BROWN: Interlock these fingers if you happen to’re ready. Your arms straight, elbows locked, push straight down as onerous as you’ll be able to, and we do it to 120 beats a minute. Two acquainted songs – the cadence form of helps you push, push, push – you recognize, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive. (Singing) Ay, macarena.

SEGARRA: The easy act of you doing chest compressions will give this individual a greater likelihood of surviving till assist comes. There may be one other element to CPR, rescue breaths. You’ve got most likely seen this within the motion pictures. You needn’t do them. Analysis exhibits that with adults, hands-only CPR is nearly as efficient as CPR with the breaths. However if you happen to do wish to try them, you are going to do 30 chest compressions adopted by two breaths.

BROWN: Place one hand on the individual’s brow, pull the pinnacle again, two fingers beneath the chin. Press your mouth over theirs, give a breath simply till you see the chest rise, subsequent breath, after which you are going to return to chest compressions.

SEGARRA: So that is CPR for adults. It is a bit totally different for youths and infants. The American Pink Cross does suggest rescue breaths for them. And for infants, you may wish to wrap your palms round their torso and do chest compressions together with your thumbs within the heart of the chest.

BROWN: Many individuals discuss with that as a two-thumbs encircling hand approach.

SEGARRA: You’ll find a diagram of this system on-line. Additionally AED machines can save lives. These will analyze an individual’s coronary heart rhythm and ship a shock if vital. You merely flip them on, put the pads on the individual’s chest and comply with the voice prompts.

BROWN: You’ll find them in faculties, public locations, airports, generally buying facilities and casinos, of all locations.

SEGARRA: The very last thing I will say right here – I do know some people may be afraid to attempt CPR as a result of they do not wish to do it flawed.

BROWN: Typically, after I’m instructing and other people say, I do not wish to harm the individual, and I say, their coronary heart has stopped.

SEGARRA: So she says even when you have not had formal coaching, if you happen to’re on this scenario, make an try but additionally think about taking a CPR class. For NPR Information, I am Marielle Segarra.

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