Public health is a vital aspect of society and is at the forefront of our minds. In the case of an emergency, if someone were to fall unconscious in a public space or at home, bystanders or family members should know how to provide basic life support to the victim. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves in the techniques of life-saving skills such as CPR training (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), first aid, and AED use.
Emergency preparedness involves training and education, so find a community program for perfecting your rescue techniques. A certified professional can take you through the training steps and give you a chance to practice on a mannequin. Repetition and comprehensive knowledge will help you to feel confident and experience less stress when the need arises.
When bystander intervention is required, understanding what compression-only CPR is, why you would use it, and how to utilize it is paramount.
What is Compression-Only CPR?
Compressions-only, or hands-only CPR, is a simplified form of CPR that involves only chest compressions for resuscitation without providing rescue breaths to the victim. It should be performed only on adolescents and adults because children and infants have better outcomes with traditional 30:2 CPR.
The number of people who had a negative outcome due to lack of CPR before emergency response teams were able to intervene is staggering. 70-90% of cardiac arrest victims died before reaching a doctor, and this is not even factoring in those who passed away due to other circumstances.
Providing any type of CPR, including compressions-only CPR, can restore blood circulation, prevent brain damage, and keep the victim alive until EMTs arrive. It is proven that in the first 5 minutes of the emergency, hands-only CPR is as effective as the traditional method. If the emergency responders take longer to reach the scene, it is recommended to use the conventional form of CPR.
Why Should We Practice Compression-Only CPR
The most significant benefit of compressions-only CPR is the increased likelihood of bystander intervention. More people would perform CPR in a compression-only scenario due to a lack of training and infection concerns.
When you attend CPR classes, one of the first things you learn to do before performing CPR is to use a mask for mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing to prevent the spread of infection. People are eager to help, but lay people can become nervous about performing a procedure that could potentially be harmful to themselves.
There is no shame in protecting yourself. Even firefighters are trained to protect themselves when they enter a burning building. As humans, we instinctively want to safeguard our own lives. And how often will there be a mask available for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation? Probably not very often.
So, if we want to securely assist another in need and preserve our safety at the same time, compression-only CPR is the ideal form of emergency response.
Other Benefits of Compression-Only CPR
Besides encouraging bystander intervention, hands-only CPR has other important benefits.
Simple Procedure
In the case of cardiac arrest or other emergencies, it is very reassuring that you can help someone quite easily. Not only is it a very effective method, but it is simpler for people who are not CPR trained, as it only involves chest compressions.
Uninterrupted Circulation
The conventional CPR method requires that you stop performing compressions to administer 2 breaths. This can cause discontinuation in the blood circulation and less blood flow and oxygen to the brain, leading to brain damage and additional health complications.
In compression-only CPR, this risk is minimized as the rescuer maintains continuous blood circulation to protect the vital organs of the cardiac arrest victim.
Better Chest Compressions
Chest compressions are an essential component of CPR as they push the blood to circulate and carry oxygen to the brain and other vital organs. In compression-only CPR, the rescuers perform continuous, high-quality chest compressions as they do not need to pause for rescue breaths. This leads to more effective compressions and a positive outcome for the cardiac arrest victim.
Higher Survival Rates
In many cases, compression-only CPR can even be as effective as traditional CPR. One study showed that hands-only CPR yielded a survival rate of 13.5%, whereas conventional CPR had a survival rate of 13.8%, following a thirty-day period after the OHCA.
How to Perform Hands-Only CPR
Before you begin any kind of CPR, there are a few basic steps you should take. Make sure it is safe for you to engage with the victim. For example, remove an electric cable from their bodies with a non-conductive material such as a stick when electrocution has occurred.
Check for consciousness, breathing, and heart rate. If the victim has suffered cardiac arrest or another injury that ceases their breath or heart function, they will need CPR. Before you begin any aid, immediately call 911 or have a bystander call 911. Begin CPR:
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- Step 1: The victim should be on level ground.
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- Step 2: Kneel next to the victim’s chest so you can comfortably position your body and hands.
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- Step 3: Link your hands together with your palms facing down, one on top of the other. Position your hands over the sternum, the center of the chest.
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- Step 4: Angle your body over the top of the victim with straight arms to deliver strength behind each compression.
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- Step 5: Begin compressions. They should be strong enough to push the chest down by 2 inches, and you need to make 100-120 compressions for each minute.
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- Step 6: The chest should return to a neutral position between each compression.
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- Step 7: Continue until medical professionals arrive to take over. This is a fundamental step. Even if you have not seen any response from the victim, you are increasing their chances of survival.
Limitations, Cautions, and Recommendations for Hands-Only CPR
Hands-only CPR is recommended for adults and adolescents only. When performing CPR on a child or infant, they should receive CPR with all the necessary steps, including mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Also, if the victim has succumbed to a drowning incident, they must be given life-saving breaths. If the collapse were caused by breathing issues, they would also require mouth-to-mouth.
Always evaluate the victim and the situation carefully because a heart attack victim may need a different type of bystander assistance. With this said, it is always better to provide some form of CPR as opposed to no treatment at all.
On occasion, chest compressions can result in broken or damaged ribs due to the pressure applied. These are seldom fatal; however, they can be another hurdle to the victim’s recovery.
Chest compressions are committed to muscle memory. In other words, the more they are practiced correctly, the more likely they will be performed correctly in a moment of trauma and possible panic. This is another reason why attending a training course and renewing your certification every two years is essential.
What Else Can Be Done?
If there is an AED device available, this can also be an integral piece of machinery for increasing the victim’s chances of survival. User-friendly voice instructions and picture descriptions make AED use simple and easy for everyone.
An AED monitor has the added function of assessing a weak heart and advising the user to take further steps. In situations such as stroke emergencies, an AED monitor could be particularly useful as the heart may still be beating but may need to be jolted back to a normal rhythm.
Airway management is also important. In case of choking, you should be familiar with the Heimlich maneuver. If you are unsure of the reason the victim has stopped breathing, check their airway. There may be an obstruction that you need to deal with before administering CPR treatment.
Taking these steps for basic life support will allow you to feel more confident, no matter the situation.
In Conclusion
Whether close to home, adventuring in the outdoors, working in an office, or traveling around the globe, we never know what kind of emergency situation may present itself. Even the healthiest person can sustain an injury that would require your help.
That is why you should enroll in a course with a professional, as this will enable you to perform the CPR procedures in a calmer manner and with greater success.
Always call 911 before you begin any life-saving measures if the individual is not breathing, is unresponsive, or if their heart has stopped. CPR is a life-extending practice, and it is not meant for lay people to replace highly trained professionals.
Hands-only CPR is safe for you, necessary for the person in need, and easy to do. Some may argue it is even more effective. We hope you’ll employ these essential steps should they become needed.