We all believe we can follow instructions without reading them first. Learning a new skill need your undivided attention to the smallest of details. Regardless of how efficient you are in your area of expertise, you still need to upgrade your skills...
We all believe we can follow instructions without reading them first. Learning a new skill need your undivided attention to the smallest of details. Regardless of how efficient you are in your area of expertise, you still need to upgrade your skills and refresh your knowledge from time to time. A course such as CPR needs to be practiced or it might be forgotten.
Common Myths of CPR
For years, we have lived with myths that were thought to be true. For example, older adults believed that rubbing butter on skin burns would ease the pain or stop the burning. The friction of applying heat and rubbing an oily substance on a burn can cause an infection. In a few words, that method is not effective. Instead, apply an antibiotic cream, after rinsing the burn with cold water and covering it with a clean dressing gauze.
Another popular myth appeared on television during the late 1950s when cowboys and Indians did a lot of shooting. When a gunshot victim was taken to the town doctor, he always got a shot of whiskey. This was the numbing drug at the time. Whiskey was thought to make a person calm so that the doctor could remove the bullet. Today, we have anesthesia, lidocaine, and laughing gas.
How to do it Right
Now that we have gotten a few myths out of the way, let us see if we can get to performing CPR the right way, so we can help save some lives. First, you want to ask yourself; what does CPR stand for and how can someone trained in CPR get it wrong? The only way anyone can get CPR wrong depends on how long they have been without any training. CPR supplies the critical steps needed to keep the blood circulating to the heart and brain, and to other vital organs in the body.
The main aspect of CPR focuses on survival. Trained CPR participants perform life-saving techniques until help arrives. In some cases, victims have suffered from bruised ribs or other injuries to certain parts of the body, due to the improper administration of CPR. However, thoroughly trained individuals can prevent inflicting unintentional injury on others if they learn the basics of CPR.
Using an AED to Restart the Heart
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Aside from CPR, you can learn how to use an Automated External Defibrillator or (AED). An AED greatly increases a person's chance of survival. Anyone trained in CPR should also be trained on using an automated external defibrillator. If your workplace has an AED in place, follow these steps if the need should arise.
Step 1- Power on the AED machine and follow the prompts. The equipment can be used for both children or adults.
Step 2- Place the AED near the victim's head, with the unit powered on. Your model might be one of the two, push-button or automatic turn upon lifting the lid.
Step 3- Apply both pads. One of the right sides of the chest just below the collarbone.
Step 4- Place the second pad on the lower left side of the victim's chest.
