You don’t need that many reasons to learn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), considering how important having the skills can be. It’s enough to know you could save someone’s life to realize just how important it is. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart attacks are a number one cause of death and millions of people have been diagnosed with heart disease.
We’ve all heard of CPR, but hearing about it isn’t enough to know the great benefits of learning it. During a cardiac arrest, abnormal rhythm causes the heart to stop beating. Cardiac arrest is caused when the electrical activity in the heart goes haywire, causing the heart to flutter or stop beating altogether. This stops the flow of oxygen reaching the body, and tissues die very quickly when not receiving oxygen. Muscle tissues can regenerate, but a loss of brain tissue can lead to scarring and brain dysfunction. In simple terms, CPR mimics the pumping action of the heart.
There are 2 types of CPR. The first one is the conventional CPR, which is performed by trained health professionals that includes compression and breathing techniques; and the other is the hands-on CPR, which involves chest compressions. Effective chest compressions must be done fast, around 100 times per minute.
The American Heart Association estimates that 100,000 to 200,000 lives of adults and children could be saved each year if CPR is performed early enough. It’s also important to note here that most states have passed a legislative law for CPR to be taught in schools across America, after an initiative taken by the American Heart Association a few years ago.
Now that you know some crucial details, here are golden reasons why you should learn to do CPR.
Easy to learn
This first-aid skill isn’t difficult to learn when we are talking about hands-only chest compressions. Most recent studies show that if chest compressions are carried out for 38 minutes or longer, a victim has a much better chance of surviving without suffering any brain dysfunction later on.
Young and old
Age does not determine who can be a victim of cardiac arrest. Drowning is also a possible cause for the heart to stop, and young children are often at risk of accidental drowning. The algorithms used to save children include a set of steps to be used when a child’s heart stops beating. The physical strength between an infant, child, and adult is different, thus they have their own algorithm steps to follow when initiating CPR.
Don’t feel helpless
When someone has a cardiac arrest in a hospital, there will be a means to help save that life. But the statistics say that 88% of cardiac arrests happen at home. This means the chances of a loved one being the victim can happen at any home. Unfortunately, only 8% of people who suffer a cardiac arrest inside the home survive. The worst thing is to feel helpless to aid a loved one because you don’t know what to do. Learning CPR can change all that.
Quick reaction
When an emergency is at hand, there’s no time to search for a site to give you instructions on what and how to do something. Time is of the utmost importance, and by learning CPR you will have memorized certain instructions and procedures. You can quickly go into action and know automatically what to do and what not to do.
Chances for complete recovery
Being able to use the skill of CPR means you can make the difference between someone completely recovering from a cardiac arrest to someone who will live their life with a disability because help was not at hand. It’s been found that only 2.4% of Americans have been trained in CPR.
Double or triple survival chance
This emergency life-saving procedure may double or triple the survival chance of someone who has gone into cardiac arrest. But only 32% of people are able to receive bystander CPR before professional help arrives.
Jobs which require CPR training
There are several non-medical jobs that require you to get CPR training. These include firemen, electricians, flight attendants, coaches and trainers, school staff, nannies, and even volunteer work. You won’t be considered for work in these careers without being CPR trained.
No warning signs
A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone with no warning signs, which differs them from heart attacks. It is actually heart attacks that can bring on cardiac arrests. They’re both emergency situations so every minute counts for the victim. The survival level decreases 10% with every minute that goes by with no help. You can change someone’s life. You can save someone’s life. Read about survival stories of those who were saved because of CPR and you will wonder why you didn’t learn CPR earlier.