General CPR
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THIS IS A TUTORIAL, HENCE A STUDY AID, NOT A FIRST AID MANUAL.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a procedure you perform on someone having a heart attack. By squeezing the heart and breathing into his mouth, you provide the victim with two lifesaving elements. It is important to know the signs of a heart attack in order to help the victim get medical help as soon as possible. CPR is very exhausting work, but when you are done, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you saved a life. Most Heart Attacks happen in the home, where it is least expected, so it is important to know how to give CPR.

 

 

Symptoms of a Heart Attack:
1) Chest Pains. This pressure in the chest usually spread to the shoulders, neck, jaw and left arm.

2) Sweating. Sweating when the temperature is rather cool, or when very little hard work was done. No reason for him to sweat.

3) Nausea: The victim feel like he is ready to vomit.

4) Shortness of Breath. He may be panting and have trouble breathing for no reason. No hard work or exercise was done.

5) Weakness. Not to say the victim will turn wimpy, but he'll have a lot of trouble doing simple stuff. He'll feel tired and exhausted.

First Aid for a Heart Attack:
If the victim is conscious, but is showing the signs of a heart attack, have the victim sit or lie down, which ever is more comfortable for him. Get medical help IMMEDIATELY. Be prepared to perform CPR if the victim's heart stops.

Instructions for General CPR
Shake the victim to make sure he is not sleeping (believe it or not, this happens more than you would think).

Be sure to tilt the head back

If you are unsuccessful in waking the victim, turn him on his back. Tilt the head back to open the airway. Do this pulling up on the chin while pushing down on the forehead.

Look, Listen & Feel. Putting your ear to the victims mouth, look at chest, see if it is rising and falling. Feel for the breath on your cheek and listen for the victim's breathing. You have established that the victim is not breathing.

Make sure the airway is open (tilt the head back). Pinch the victim noise and breath two breaths into the victim's mouth. Be sure to pinch the noise hard otherwise your cheek may become a Kleenex.

After giving two breaths, check for a pulse. Take your pointing and middle fingers and put them together. Put those two

Check for a pulse

fingers on the victim's Adam's apple. Slide your fingers down until you find the valley between the Adam's apple and the muscle on the side of his neck. Press in that valley to find a pulse. You may have to press kind'a hard. Hold your fingers there for at least six seconds to be sure the victim has no pulse. You may want to check on both sides on the neck to be sure.

Be sure and call for help, after a while, you'll be exhausted and need someone else to take over

If there is no pulse, contact 911 immediately. Better yet, call out to someone else to call for you, so you can stay with the victim.

Now you start what most people call a cycle. Fifteen chest compression's and then two ventilation's. Move over to the victim's chest. Run your fingers up the rib cage until you reach the sternal notch (a few inches below the breastbone). Now put your palm over the sternal notch and placing your other palm on top of your other palm. Lock your fingers between the fingers on the bottom palm. Put your shoulders directly over the compression area. Lock your arms and elbows over your hands. Give fifteen chest compression's with a smooth rhythm of one - and - two - and - three, ect. The compression's should be quick and smooth, keeping your fingers from putting pressure on the victims ribs. Push down about 1/ 1/2 to 2 inches.

Lock your elbows and put your shoulders over the victims chest

 

Continue five cycles of breathing and chest compression's before checking the pulse again.

Continue CPR until you are relived by medical personnel, or the victim's heart starts to beat again.