Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, also known as CPR, is an emergency procedure that combines rescue breathing and chest compressions in an effort to reverse cardiac arrest. While CPR is not likely to restart the heart, it does buy time until help can arrive. CPR’s purpose is to generate oxygenated blood to vitals organs. CPR provides temporary relief to vital organs and body parts which reduces the likelihood of brain damage and death. I believe that it is important for everyone, including non-healthcare professionals to know CPR. Everyone should learn CPR because it is a simple procedure, it can be administered during the crucial time when paramedics are on their way, and because it saves lives.
CPR is also a very simple procedure. CPR classes usually only last one day and you learn all the steps so you can potentially save a life. Perform CPR is as simple as calling 911 immediately, performing chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation increments, then once paramedics arrive, provide them with necessary information regarding the time period since the victim collapsed and the actions taken during the time it took them to arrive. Learning CPR is a simple way to save a life. By administering CPR you can prevent brain damage due to lack of oxygen to the brain until help arrives. This simple procedure can ensure not only survival of the victim but also their return to a normal life.
Next, It is important for everyone to know CPR in case of an emergency. CPR is only effective if it is administered within six to seven minutes after cessation of blood flow through the body. It can take paramedics longer than six to seven minutes to arrive on scene, so it is important that someone start cardiopulmonary resuscitation while they wait for them to arrive. Once the paramedics arrive they can perform electric shock defibrillation on the heart, which can hopefully restart the heart. And thanks to the CPR that was performed while they were on route the victim may survive and is likely to return to his or her original lifestyle.
Finally, most people do not realize just how important CPR can be. Some facts that everyone should know are it only take one minute for a child to drown and drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages one through four years old. Also, 88% of cardiac arrests happen at home and only 6.4% of cardiac arrest victims survive because the people witnessing did not know CPR. Finally, over two hundred thousand people die each year due to sudden cardiac arrest, and of the two hundred thousand deaths fifty thousand could have been prevented if CPR was administered. If more people know CPR then many lives can be saved every year and since eighty-eight percent of cardiac arrest happen at home there is a really high probability that the live you save is that of a loved one.
I believe that it is extremely important for non-healthcare professionals to know CPR. The more people that know CPR the better. The process of learning CPR is simple and does not take long at all. There is not always going to be a healthcare professional around during an emergency situation so it is important for everyone to be able to help. Not only is CPR an easy procedure to perform but knowing CPR can be the difference between saving someone’s life or watching them die. CPR is great because it can possibly reverse cardiac arrest or simply buy time for the paramedics to arrive. Once again I believe that everyone, including non-healthcare professionals should know CPR because CPR saves lives!
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