In an emergency medical situation, performing high quality CPR could save someone’s life. Most defibrillators are designed to be used by untrained people and will give guidance, however, training is advised. Even a basic awareness of CPR will help manage what is a stressful situation. Attending a course on how to do CPR is the best way to ensure your life saving skills are up to scratch, but if you want to revise the correct method before you go, here’s a quick run through of how to perform high quality CPR.
How to perform CPR on an adult
In a medical emergency such as a cardiac arrest, performing high quality CPR can improve a person’s chance of survival. If you haven’t received training in CPR, you may want to only perform chest compressions (hands-only CPR) on the patient. If you’re confident in performing high quality CPR, you can also perform rescue breaths.
How to carry out chest compressions:
- Put the heel of your hand on the patient’s sternum (breastbone). This will be in the centre of their chest. When your first hand is in the right position, put your other hand on top and interlock your fingers.
- Shift your weight so your shoulders are directly above your hands. You should now be directly over the persons chest (do not lean on the chest).
- Using your body weight with your arms locked, press straight down by 5-6cm on their chest.
- Keeping your hand on their chest, release your weight and let their chest return to its normal position.
- Repeat this process at a rate of 100 to 120 times per minute. As a guide 100 to 120 beats per minute is to the beat of the song ‘Nelly the elephant’. Continue performing the chest compressions until an ambulance arrives.
All of our recommended defibrillators offer real time CPR feedback which will ensure that your compressions are the correct depth and rate leading to better outcomes for the patient and less stress for the rescuer.
How to carry out rescue breaths:
If you want to also perform rescue breaths, you should give two rescue breaths after every 30 chest compressions.
- Perform 30 chest compressions as per the instructions above.
- After 30 compressions, gently tilt the patient’s head back and lift up their chin.
- Pinch the patient’s nose, seal your mouth over theirs and blow firmly into their mouth for one second. You should see their chest rise. Repeat this one more time.
- Continue with the 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths cycle until the emergency services arrive.
How to perform CPR on a child
Performing CPR on a child is slightly different to performing CPR on an adult.
- After you have performed a primary survey, if you find that the child is unresponsive and not breathing you should ask a helper to call 999 or 112 for emergency help while you start CPR. Ask a helper to find and bring a defibrillator if available.
- If you are on your own, you need to give one minute of CPR before calling on a speaker phone.
- Do not leave the child to make the call or to look for a defibrillator.
2. Start CPR. Place them on a firm surface and open their airway. To do this, place one hand on their forehead to tilt their head back and use two fingers from the other hand to gently lift the chin.
3. Give five initial rescue breaths.
- Take the hand from the forehead and pinch the soft part of the nose closed, allowing the mouth to fall open.
- With the head still tilted, take a breath and put your mouth around the child’s, to make a seal.
- Blow into their mouth gently and steadily for up to one second, until the chest rises.
- Remove your mouth and watch the chest fall.
That’s one rescue breath. Do this five times.
4. You will then need to give 30 chest compressions.
- Kneel by the child and put one hand in the centre of the child’s chest.
- Push down a third of the depth of the chest.
- Release the pressure allowing the chest to come back up.
- Repeat this 30 times at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
The beat of the song ‘Stayin’ Alive’ can help you keep the right rate.
5. After 30 compressions, open the airway and give two breaths.
Keep alternating 30 compressions with two breaths (30:2) until:
- Emergency help arrives and takes over
- The child starts showing signs of life and starts to breathe normally
- A defibrillator is ready to be used.
It is vital that you perform rescue breaths as cardiac arrest in a child is likely caused by a respiratory problem.
6. If the helper returns with a defibrillator, ask them to switch it on and take the pads out while you continue with CPR. They should remove or cut through clothing to get to the casualty’s bare chest. They also need to wipe away any sweat.
- The defibrillator will give voice prompts on what to do
They should attach the pads to the casualty’s chest by removing the backing paper. Applying the pads in the positions shown.
- The first pad should be on the upper right side below the collar bone.
- The second pad should be on the casualty’s left side below the arm pit.
The defibrillator will analyse the heart’s rhythm. Stop CPR, and make sure no one is touching the casualty. It will then give a series of visual and verbal prompts that should be followed.
- If the defibrillator tells you that a shock is needed, tell people to stand back. The defibrillator will tell you when to press the shock button. After the shock has been given, the defibrillator will tell you to continue CPR for two minutes before it re-analyses.
- If the defibrillator tells you that no shock is needed, continue CPR for two minutes before the defibrillator re-analyses.
7. If the child shows signs of becoming responsive such as coughing, opening eyes, speaking, and starts to breathe normally, put them in the recovery position. Monitor their level of response and prepare to give CPR again if necessary.
If you have used a defibrillator, leave it attached.
How to perform CPR on an infant under one
- Carry out steps 1 and 2 for carrying out CPR on a child.
- After you’ve given 5 initial rescue breaths, place two fingers on the middle of the infant’s chest and push down 4cm. This should be approximately one-third of the chest diameter. Use the heel of your hand if you can’t achieve the correct depth with two fingers.
- Carry out 30 chest compressions at a rate of 100 – 120 per minute.
- Give two rescue breaths.
- Repeat the cycle of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until they begin to recover, or help arrives.
How else can you help?
All the defibrillators that we recommend and supply not only give you voice prompts to carry out the rescue they also offer visual guidance in the form of text or video as well as real time feedback during CPR. If there is a defibrillator to hand, you can use it to help an adult or a child over the age of one. A defibrillator will send an electric shock through their heart if it has gone into cardiac arrest. Defibrillators are very easy to use and automated external defibrillators (AED), the kind you find in public places, are designed to be used by someone with little or no training.
If you are on your own, do not cease performing CPR to seek out a defibrillator. However, if there is someone else available to go and retrieve the nearest available defibrillator, using one could improve the patient’s chance of survival. Defibrillators often have spoken instructions and diagrams on the machine, and it will also tell you whether or not to shock the patient.
Want to know more about how a defibrillator works? Take a look at our guide to using a defibrillator.
Now you know how to correctly perform CPR, you should be able to act more effectively in an emergency situation. If you’d like more information about finding the right defibrillator for your working environment, please get in touch.
