Awareness and First Aid

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one of the most effective ways to assist in a medical emergency.

When a patient’s heart has stopped working, CPR aims to keep their brain alive until it can be restarted, explains ER24 Southern Cape Branch Manager Tao Ann Carstens. She shares her CPR expertise.

Mouth-to-mouth is not always necessary

In the past, everyone was taught rescue breaths as an integral part of the CPR process, but not anymore. Several reasons exist why mouth-to-mouth is no longer a part of bystander CPR. The main drawback is that it is inefficient, with people often taking too long to get hands back on chest. But hands-only CPR has been shown to be effective if provided by bystanders until professional help arrives.

First aiders and healthcare workers, however, still use ventilation as part of CPR, using devices to prevent risk of infection. Their more intense training prevents unnecessary delays in compression.

When to perform CPR

You should always perform CPR when a patient has no pulse and is not breathing normally. However, if you’re a bystander handling a scene and you’re unsure, it’s better to do CPR than not do CPR. It's critical to focus on keeping the blood circulating by providing external compressions.

10 seconds can save a life

Medics are often not around when tragedy strikes. This is why it’s important that as a bystander, you know how to perform lifesaving procedures like CPR. It’s also crucial to act fast, and you should take no longer than 10 seconds to assess a patient before performing CPR, if necessary. The important things to check for are the pulse and breathing. If these aren’t present, or you’re unsure, start CPR.

 

How to perform CPR on an adult

  1. Place patient on a firm, flat surface
  2. Position yourself next to the patient
  3. Place the palm of your one hand in the centre of the patient’s chest
  4. Place your second hand on top of the first hand
  5. Straighten your arms and position your upper body over your hands 
  6. Push down on the chest for at least 5cm
  7. Push hard and push fast at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute (two per second)
  8. Continue compressions until help arrives

How to perform CPR on a child

  1. Place patient on a firm, flat surface
  2. Position yourself next to the patient
  3. Place the palm of your one hand in the centre of the patient’s chest
  4. Straighten your arm and position your upper body over your hands 
  5. Push down on the chest for at least 5cm
  6. Push hard and push fast at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute (two per second)
  7. Continue compressions until help arrives

How to perform CPR on a baby

  1. Place patient on a firm, flat surface
  2. Position yourself next to the patient
  3. Place two or three fingers in the centre of the infant’s chest, just below the nipple line
  4. Push down on the chest for at least 4cm
  5. Push hard and push fast at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute (two per second)
  6. Continue compressions until help arrives


Don’t stop CPR until paramedics arrive to take over!

Call ER24 on 084 124 for real help, real fast.