Stayin’ Alive with CPR in the Park
The event received good support, with folk of all ages attending to see and learn.
Saving a life, using cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), may not be as difficult as one might think.
It’s also not necessarily that easy, which is why Netcare Margate Hospital hosted a free open day ‘CPR in the Park’ at St Mike’s beach last Saturday.
Netcare paramedics and nurses made themselves available to teach, show and guide those who arrived to learn or brush up on their skills and knowledge.
CPR techniques have changed over the years and especially so in and post Covid-19.
For one, there is not as much mouth-to-mouth involved, and the rescue breaths are to be used only by someone trained therein.
One of the paramedics explained that in the instance of a drowning or near-drowning, the body still contains 75% oxygen, and it’s the first responder’s job or duty to keep this oxygen circulating until a trained medic arrives.
This is done in the regular fashion so well known, the double-armed, hands-on pumping on the chest, known as cardiac compressions. If you know the BeeGees song, Stayin’ Alive, it’s helpful to keep it in mind and ‘compress’ to the beat of this song.
Don’t worry if you hear some ribs crack, that’s normal and not something to worry about, explained another paramedic.
The event received good support, with folk of all ages attending to see and learn.
There were a number of pre-primary school educators, and others who work with children.
1. CHECK:
– Make sure it is safe to approach:
– Check for any response from the victim.
– Tilt the head back, lift the chin and check breathing.
– If breathing is absent or not normal, CPR is needed.
2. CALL
– Call 112 and follow their instructions.
– If someone is there to help, ask them to call 112 for you.
– Cardiac compressions are most important for survival, do not delay or interrupt cardiac compressions.
3. COMPRESS
– Place both hands in the centre of the chest.
– Compress the chest five to six cm 100 -120 times per minute to the rhythm of ‘Stayin’ Alive’.
– If you learned how to do it, provide two rescue breaths between every 30 compressions, otherwise pump the chest continuously.
– Push hard and fast, don’t worry you can’t do any harm.
– If an AED arrives, switch it on immediately and follow the instructions.
– Once the emergency services arrive, continue until you are told to stop.
– Well done, doing something saves lives and is always better than doing nothing.
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