Adult CPR & First Aid

Organizations such as the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross advocate that everyone should know basic CPR and first aid. When a heart or breathing emergency occurs, the victim's survival depends upon early recognition, early CPR and early access to advanced medical care, according to the American Red Cross. As a lay responder, you can ensure that the rescue process begins immediately.

Significance

• If a student takes nothing else from a CPR and first aid class, he should take the confidence to stop when he sees an emergency, call 9-1-1 and stay with the victim until help arrives. Most classes will open with the statistics on leading causes of death in the United States. According to the American Red Cross and National Center for Health Statistics, unintentional injuries, cancer and heart disease are the top three causes of death in people ages one to 49.

Steps

• Both the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross outline three emergency action steps: Check, Call, Care. When responding to an emergency, it is important that the rescuer first checks the scene for safety. If the scene is safe for the rescuer to enter, he will check the victim for consciousness. If there is no one else around to call 9-1-1, the rescuer calls 9-1-1 himself and then returns to the victim until the emergency medical services arrive. When he determines the type of emergency he faces (no breathing, no pulse or both) he can proceed to give rescue breaths and/or compressions until EMS arrive to take over.

Check

• Checking a victim will be different for an conscious and unconscious person. If the victim is conscious, the rescuer conducts a short interview of simple questions with her. He will then check her from head to toe by asking her to move the parts of her body that do not hurt. If the victim is unconscious, the rescuer must open the airway by tilting the head back. He will then, look, listen and feel for signs of breathing and a pulse. When a victim is conscious, the rescuer must state his name, that he is first aid certified, and ask permission to give care. When the victim is unconscious, the rescuer can assume that permission is granted.

CPR

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation consists of two rescue breaths to every thirty chest compressions. To begin rescue breathing for an adult, tilt the chin back to open the airway, make a complete seal over the mouth, pinch the nose shut and breathe over a period of one second. After two rescue breaths, place both hands interlocked on the center of the chest at the nipple line. Compress the chest 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep thirty times at a steady pace of "one-and-two-and-three-and..." The rescuer should lock his elbows and keep his shoulders directly over his hands. This stance protects the rescuer from becoming exhausted before EMS arrive.

First Aid

• Adult first aid covers soft tissue wounds, injuries to muscles, bones and joints, burns, sudden illness such as stroke, poisoning, heat and cold-related emergencies, asthma and anaphylaxis, among other special situations. For soft tissue cuts, scrapes and bruises, rescuers are advised to apply pressure to stop the blood and wrap the wound with a clean, sterile dressing to prevent infection. For sprains, strains, dislocations and fractures, the responder may use a splint to hold the injured body part as still as possible and apply ice. For burns, the rescuer should flush the site of the burn with cold water and wrap it loosely with a clean covering to prevent infection. With sudden illness, it is imperative to call 9-1-1 as soon as possible and have the victim rest comfortably while they wait for the ambulance. Specific care for emergencies should be learned through an accredited first aid course offered by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.