Human life is precious and it is the duty of every responsible citizen to play their part in the society they live in. CPR and first aid are not the only types of medical assistance a person might need but they can definitely help buy more time for a patient until an ambulance arrives. By learning how to do CPR correctly, you may be able to help save someone’s valuable life.

Basic CPR Steps to Know

Step 1: Approach the Patient Calmly

The first step to helping someone in an emergency is to always be vigilant in everyday life. The only way you can help a victim is if you are alert enough to notice the problem. So, whenever you notice someone suddenly fall to the ground or holding their chest, always take out the time to ask them if they’re okay. Before starting CPR, try to make a call to the ambulance to ensure that medical help arrives in time.

Step 2: Position Your Hand on the Centre of their Chest and Interlock your Fingers

The next thing to do is to ensure the patient is lying on their back. Quickly sit beside them and place one hand on top of the other in the middle of their chest. Interlock the fingers of your hands to keep your hands together.

Step 3: Lean Forward to Give Chest Compressions

To give a chest compression you must lean forward and press your hands downwards on the chest of the patient. Keep your arms straight as you apply the pressure. You should aim to press the chest down by about two inches to kick. Try to press down as quickly as possible to give about 100 compressions per minute. This can help restart the patient’s heart.

Step 4: Give the Patient Rescue Breaths

If you feel that the chest compressions are not working then you should try to give rescue breaths. To do this, hold the nostrils of the patient closed with your hand and place your mouth near the patient’s mouth to blow air into it. As you take a normal breath, try to blow air into the patient’s mouth. This can help them start breathing again.

Step 5: Notice the Patient’s Chest for Signs of Breathing

Once you have given rescue breaths to the patient, remove your mouth away from the patient’s mouth. Give them a chance to breathe on their own. Notice if the patient’s chest is moving. If the chest is falling, then this is a positive sign and means that you were successful and that the patient is starting to breathe on their own.

Step 6: Continue to Give Chest Compressions and Rescue Breaths

If you see no signs of breathing in the patient, then you should continue to give chest compressions and rescue breaths quickly. You never know which one of your rescue breaths can give life to a person suffering a cardiac arrest. This is why it is important for you to not give up and continue doing this until medical help arrives.

We hope the simple steps explained above motivate you to do CPR to save someone’s life. After all, there is no way to guarantee that medical assistance will be in close proximity to a victim when a person suddenly experiences a heart attack. This is why it is wise to learn the simple steps of a CPR as it can significantly increase the chances of a person surviving a cardiac arrest.