How To Decide When To Perform CPR

Thinking about CPR Certification Online and when to perform CPR? With a thorough CPR Online Certification, you will notice a few clear-cut warning signs that indicate when to do CPR on another person – sudden unconsciousness, no pulse, limited breathing. 

The surrounding circumstances will also clue you in as to whether CPR is required. For instance, if the person was drowned or electrocuted, if they were exposed to drugs. These types of situations can call for CPR and makes us understand the importance of a CPR Certification Course.

When Do You Impart CPR?

The answer to the question is almost always ‘immediately.’

Picture this – you are walking down the street and someone in front of you falls over with no warning, or you are driving on the highway and you see an accident by the side of the road. Or someone is lying down next to the vehicle, and they are not moving.

What do you do? How do you tell when to perform CPR? Here are a few things to consider –

Are They Breathing? Check for the signs if the person is breathing? Can you hear them breathing if you get close to their chest and mouth? Can you feel their breath on your skin? If not, they may need CPR.

Are They Responsive? Try shaking or rousing the person. Are they responsive but disoriented, or are they out cold? CPR is generally performed if the person is unconscious.

Call 911 or Have Someone Call for You. Every second counts when it comes to deciding when to give CPR, and all this determination takes time. So, in between figuring out what’s happening, call 911 or have someone call for you.

Do They Have a Pulse? Sometimes it’s very difficult to say if someone has a pulse, especially if you are a person with no medical training. You can check that using your forefinger or middle finger on the person’s wrist – right at the base of their thumb.

Use Your Instinct. It can take time to look for a pulse in an emergency, especially if you have never done it before. If you are having trouble locating the pulse or are not sure if the person is breathing, but it’s clear they are out cold, you need to impart CPR immediately.

When to Stop Giving CPR?

Once you start giving CPR, do not stop unless one of the below things happen –

● The victim becomes responsive or starts breathing

● An AED becomes available

● Another trained CPR Certifier arrives and takes over

● You are too exhausted to continue

As per older guidelines, rescuers generally stop performing CPR after 30 minutes, because if the victim had not resuscitated by then, they would not.

However, the AHA now states that giving CPR for at least 38 minutes can have a major effect on the patient’s chances of recovery. It is also found that keeping CPR going that long can improve brain functionality in survivors of cardiac arrest.

So, there is no prescribed time to stop CPR unless any of the above situations occur.

If you are looking for a CPR Certification Course that would follow the latest CPR/AED nationally-recognized training standards, we at CPR Professor can help you get certified today! We have a course for both first-time students as well as individuals seeking CPR Recertification.

Contact us today!