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When Should You Perform CPR?

The male employee suffering from heart attack in the office

When someone you know or in your vicinity requires CPR, it is important to not panic. When it is administered at the right instance, CPR can be an incredible life-saving skill to help people live and recover quickly from an accident or injury. However, the problem comes when the person who is CPR certified does not know when they should or should not perform CPR. If done at the wrong time, administering CPR can do more harm than good. It can be hard to tell if CPR is required in an emergency. To help prepare for instances of shock or adrenaline that could cloud your judgment, look out for signs that someone requires CPR so that you can act swiftly in the event of an emergency.

Check That the Area is Safe

When someone is facing an emergency that requires CPR, you must always ensure that the area surrounding yourself and them are safe. Under dangerous conditions, it is okay to accept that you may not be the best person to help. For example, if the person needing CPR was in a car accident on a highway, trying to get access to them could lead to you getting hit as well. This could be extremely dangerous to everyone around you and the accident site. Another example would be if someone got electrocuted by some faulty power lines. It is of utmost importance that if you are trying to get to this person, you first make sure that you would not be getting electrocuted as well. If the area is unsafe, call 911 instead and stay nearby until help arrives.

Check For Responsiveness

If a person in an accident is unresponsive or unconscious, that means that you should begin CPR. If they remain unresponsive or unconscious for too long, they may lose control of their breathing, which could potentially lead to brain damage or in the worst case, death. If the person is unconscious and breathing normally however, you would usually not need to perform CPR immediately as they are still receiving oxygen to their vital organs. However, you should keep a close eye on the person to take note of any changes that could worsen their condition in an instant.

Check For Breathing and a Pulse

If the person is not breathing at all, you will have to perform CPR immediately to ensure that oxygenated blood can still circulate around the body. Without oxygenated blood flow, vital organs, including the heart, may shut down. When the heart stops, the brain will start to die as well from the lack of oxygen. If you perform CPR within six minutes of not breathing, there can still be hope that the person can emerge alive without much brain damage. However, if they are still breathing but are gasping for air, CPR should be performed immediately as well. You should also check if their heart is still beating. Once you realize that their heart is not beating anymore, you should begin CPR as soon as possible.

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