New Hands-Only CPR Is Easy, Saves More
Lives
An
adult suddenly collapses in front of you.
Will you feel helpless or know what to do to save his or her life? You’ll be glad to know that the American Heart
Association has simplified things so anyone can save a life. This new CPR
method doesn’t require certification or mouth-to-mouth contact but can double
the chance of survival.*
Don’t
worry about hurting the person. If
they’ve stopped breathing, you can only help them. Good Samaritan laws protect you from legal
risk. It’s better to break a rib than
stand by in fear of not doing the right thing.
Here’s how to use continuous chest compression CPR to save lives:
1.
Call
911. Tell them your location and that
someone is not breathing.
Lay
the person on their back on a hard surface.
2.
Place the bottom
your palm in the center of the person’s chest with your other palm on top of
it.
3.
Lock your
elbows and put your shoulders directly above your hands in the center of the
person’s chest. Use your entire upper
body to force the chest cavity downward.
4.
Push HARD in
rapid repetitions. When you compress the
chest with quick forceful motion, the recoil of the person’s body allows the
heart to continue pumping blood. With
blood circulating, the brain gets what it needs and your action can keep the
person alive.
5.
Maintain the
pumping action at a rate of 100 times per minute until paramedics arrive. It’s best to have a second person to take
turns with you to keep up the pace. The beat
from the song Staying Alive by the
Bee Gees is about the speed you need.
6.
Do not stop
to check for breath or a pulse. Keep
compressing the chest until help arrives.
To
watch a short video that demonstrates this easy method, go to the American
Heart Association’s website at: www.handsonlycpr.org. *Conventional CPR (with your mouth) may be
better than Hands-Only CPR for infants and children, or teens and adults whom
you did not see collapse.
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