Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a simple series of steps developed to provide laypeople a means of providing care to an emergent patient until more complicated care arrives. Properly performed, it can mean the difference between life and death. While designed to be straightforward and easy to remember, there are some subtleties to its practice that may escape many people. These steps focus on the assessment of the patient's breathing and clear up some common misconceptions. Follow them in order to provide the best care possible.
Instructions
1. Ensure that the unconscious patient's airway is open. When a person loses consciousness, their tongue and epiglottis (the valve that lets air into the lungs) become flaccid and can easily collapse into a position that blocks the movement of air. Carefully position the patient so they are lying on their back, and tilt their head backward so they are looking up (as if they were sniffing the air). Alternatively, you can perform the jaw-thrust maneuver, which involves pushing the patient's jaw forward with your hands. Be mindful of the possibility of trauma to the patient's spine as unnecessary movement can worsen their injury or lead to paralysis.
2. Lean over the patient's face. Position yourself so your ear is near their mouth and you are looking at their chest. In this way you can both listen, watch and feel (with your hand on their chest) for breathing. Oftentimes, opening the airway is sufficient to restore spontaneous respiration.
3. Give two slow rescue breaths if you are unable to detect any signs of breathing. If the patient's chest does not rise during the breaths or you do not feel the air being exhaled, then there is a strong possibility of an obstruction in the airway. Reposition the patient's head to try and open the airway again, and search for a foreign body in the patient's mouth or throat. Then attempt the two slow rescue breaths again until you observe the proper response.
4. Continue with CPR as you have been taught if the rescue breaths are entering the patient's lungs adequately and there is no sign of the patient breathing on their own.
Tags: rescue breaths, patient breathing, slow rescue, slow rescue breaths, their chest