Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one of the essential lifesaving skills for any professional to have. People who work in the service industry, whether in security services, the hospitality or restaurant industry, or as members of a hotel staff, are strongly encouraged to have a basic knowledge of CPR techniques so they may assist any member of the public in the event of a cardiac arrest. Emergency situations happen every day, and it’s imperative to have the knowledge and confidence required to save lives with CPR.
A cardiac arrest victim can die within eight minutes if they don’t receive CPR because their major organs, including the brain, do not receive oxygen when the heart stops. This urgency makes performing CPR a vital part of saving someone’s life when they collapse from cardiac arrest. CPR manually pumps the blood, allowing it to continue to carry oxygen to the organs until emergency medical services can take over. Bystander CPR saves lives in those first critical minutes after cardiac arrest occurs, where stepping in and taking action can be the difference between the victim’s life and death.
The Basic CPR Technique:
Before beginning CPR, there are a few checkpoints to complete:
- Assess if the environment is safe. If the setting is unsafe, the person who is performing CPR should move the victim to a more secure environment whenever it’s possible to do so.
- Check to see if the victim is responsive by tapping their shoulder and asking loudly, “Are you ok?” Check their neck or wrist to detect a pulse. If the victim has a pulse, do not perform chest compressions and proceed directly to rescue breathing (see below). If there is no response and the victim does not have a pulse, begin CPR.
- Someone nearby call 911 and get the victim into a position where they are lying on their back. If you are alone, call 911 yourself and place the call on speakerphone so you have your hands free to perform CPR.
The American Heart Association (AHA) outlines two types of CPR:
- Hands-only CPR
- Conventional CPR – which includes rescue breathing.
Both types are effective, and it’s important to remember that any attempt at CPR is better than not performing it at all. If an individual has not received formal CPR training, the AHA recommends that they use hands-only CPR. If they are CPR certified, it is recommended to use CPR combined with rescue breathing where necessary.
The AHA suggests that individuals who are performing CPR follow the acronym CAB:
- C – Compressions – Continue to circulate blood
CPR consists of rapid chest compressions, where an individual places one hand on top the other, at the center of the victim’s chest. Standing or kneeling over the victim, with the arms straight, the administrator should use their body weight to press down about two inches into the victim’s chest with each compression, which should be performed at 100 – 120 beats per minute. If an individual is not CPR certified, they should continue administering chest compressions, stopping only when an EMS member takes over. (If they are CPR certified, they should continue with the ‘A’ and ‘B’ steps.)
- A – Airways – Clear the airways
After an individual has performed 30 chest compressions, they should check the victim’s airway. Check the airway by placing a hand on the victim’s forehead to tilt the head back and tilting the chin upwards. The rescuing individual should check to see if the victim is breathing by listening for breath sounds or seeing the rise and fall of the chest, waiting no more than 10 seconds. If the victim is breathing but is unconscious from a heart attack, the CPR administrator should continue chest compressions.
- B – Breathing – Perform rescue breathing
When the victim does not display any signs of breathing, the rescuing individual should pinch the victim’s nostrils shut with and cover the victim’s mouth with their own. They will then give two rescue breaths, lasting one second each, and watching to see if the chest rises after each breath. If the chest does rise, the individual should give a second breath and resume chest compressions to ensure that blood continues to circulate to the organs now that breathing has been restored.
If the victim’s chest does not rise, cycles of rescue breathing and chest compressions should continue, at the ratio of 30 chest compressions to 2 breaths. After 5 cycles of compressions and rescue breathing, a rescuing individual may use an automated external defibrillator (AED) if available, or continue CPR until emergency medical service providers can take over. If two people are working together to perform CPR on a victim, the 30:2 compressions to breaths ratio still applies, but it is recommended that they alternate positions every couple of minutes to avoid fatigue.
CPR for children is similar to the process outlined above. However, there are several important changes to note. If an individual is alone, they should perform 5 cycles of chest compressions and rescue breathing before pausing to call 911. If alone, perform CPR at the 30:2 compressions to breaths ratio, but if there are two rescuing individuals, they should use a 15:2 ratio. Also, as children are smaller than adults, rescuers should remember to compress as deep as 1/3 of the depth of the chest, or approximately 1.5 inches or less for younger children.
Other Important Things to Know About CPR:
In addition to the steps above, there are several points to know about the CPR technique. Most importantly, it’s critical to remember that CPR facilitates the pumping of blood to the organs after cardiac arrest, but it does not restart the heart. The only way to restart the heart after it has stopped is to use an AED, or for medical professionals to restart it in hospital or under professional emergency care.
Many people are concerned with causing further harm to the victim, but this willlikely not be case. There is a chance of cracking or breaking the victim’s ribs when performing CPR, which is more likely with female victims. However, it’s important to note that this occurs when CPR is done in the hospital as well. Rescuers should not concern themselves with hurting the victim when they should instead focus on saving their life.
Remember that performing bystander CPR of any kind, whether hands-only or CPR combined with rescue breathing, is always better than not stepping in.
Benefits of CPR Certification:
Knowing how to perform CPR is an important life skill for anyone to have, and is especially relevant for professionals who serve the greater public. CPR certification provides an individual with all the tools they need to perform CPR in an emergency in a way that’s compliant with AHA, Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. The steps described above demonstrate the many nuances of the CPR technique, providing further reason for individuals to master CPR through formal certification.
CPR Certification lets others know that a person has more than just general knowledge about CPR, allowing individuals to become leaders within their organization who can teach this valuable skill to their colleagues. Having CPR certification also puts people at an advantage when seeking work in the service sector because their lifesaving skill set is in high demand among health and safety conscious employers.
How to Become CPR Certified:
It’s easy for anyone to learn CPR and become certified. An individual has several options for obtaining certification. First, training can take place in person at a workshop or hands-on class. Typically, hospitals, community centers, and other health organizations offer this type of course on evenings and weekends. The other way to obtain CPR certification is through an online course. Online CPR training classes are ideal for people with busy schedules, or those who live in areas where they don’t have regular access to CPR courses.
It’s evident that there’s a need for CPR training for professionals, especially those who work in the service industry who encounter increased possibilities for acting in emergencies. Earning a CPR certification is the best way to ensure that an individual has the skills and knowledge they need to use CPR to save a life when required.
Online CPR certification from CPR Select gives professionals of all types the training and confidence they need to perform CPR in a comfortable and convenient format that can be completed anytime, from anywhere. Visit CPR Select’s informative website and learn more about the nationally accepted CPR certification courses that will prepare professionals from any sector to act in emergencies and ultimately save lives.