It’s February and that means it’s time to focus (even more) on heart health this month! A great way you can celebrate is to learn CPR. Otherwise known as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR can help those in cardiac or respiratory arrest.
Unlikely to restart the heart, the main purpose of CPR is to keep oxygenated blood moving through the brain and heart in order to delay tissue death and brain damage until advanced care begins. The earlier you begin CPR the greater chance of a successful resuscitation.
It used to be that traditional CPR involved chest compressions along with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. That changed after research showed chest compressions alone (not stopping for the mouth-to-mouth part) were much more effective.
This is important to know as up to 80 percent of cardiac arrests occur in the home, which means you are likely to perform CPR on a friend or family member.
Many local centers, schools and hospitals teach courses in CPR. In addition, you can contact the American Red Cross. It only takes a few hours and can save someone’s life.
Resources:
www.redcross.org