CPR Tips for Caregivers: How and When to Administer CPR

Familiarizing yourself with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques can help you save someone’s life during a cardiac event. If the heart beats ineffectively or pauses for several seconds, the person can lose blood flow to vital organs or the brain, which can cause critical injuries up to and including death.

Knowing how to administer CPR can help prevent the worst consequences of such an event if you act swiftly and effectively. However, correctly administering CPR, even if you know all the steps can be difficult. In this article, we’re going to detail the steps for CPR, help you find a certification course near you, and offer tips for caregivers placed in this type of emergency.

When to Give CPR

If someone is gasping for air, not breathing, or unresponsive, it’s time to use CPR. The purpose is to help circulate blood to vital organs in the event that the heart stops speeding or beats ineffectively.

How to Administer CPR

Here are the steps for giving CPR according to the American Red Cross.

Step One: Look Around

Look around and check the scene for safety. Create a first impression of what’s going on around you and if possible check for and use personal protective equipment. (PPE)

Step Two: Check for Responsiveness

If they appear unresponsive, check for breathing, bleeding, or any other life-threatening conditions. If they do not respond, try shouting, or tapping them. If they still don’t respond, move to step three.

Step Three: Call 911

If the person is not breathing, unresponsive, or only able to gasp, call 911.

Step Four: Placement

Place the person on their back on a smooth flat surface and kneel next to them.

Step Five: Compressions

According to the American Red Cross CPR guidelines, here are the ideal technique points for administering CPR compressions:

Plan to use between 101 120 chest compressions per minute in batches of 30 at a time.
Put both hands centered on the chest
Line your shoulders up directly over your hands and lock your elbows
Press down at least 2 inches during each chest compression
Administer compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute
Allow their chest to return to a normal position after each compression

(Source)

Step Six: Give 2 Breaths

Lift their chin and tilt their head back past the neutral position to open their airway
Pinch their nose, shut, take a normal breath, and completely seal their mouth with yours
Breathe into their mouth and ensure that each breath lasts about one second and makes the chest rise
Allow the air you gave to exit before you get the next breath

Step Seven: Repeat

Continue with a pattern of 30 chest compressions, and two breaths.

Find a Certification Class Near You

The Red Cross hosts training classes nationwide, and you can find a class near you using their search tool. Click here to see classes available near Irvine, or adjust the zip code in the search bar at the top of the page to find classes closer to you in Orange County.

Even if you don’t need the formal certification, these classes offer a safe place to learn the technique, get corrections, and boost your confidence in the event you need to use the technique down the line.

When to Call an Ambulance

While it’s useful and important to have a basic understanding of CPR and another first aid procedures, it’s also important to know your limits and when to call for professional help. Generally speaking, here are some situations when you should call an ambulance:

The person is unresponsive or unconscious
Your loved one is experiencing difficulty breathing
Your loved one is experiencing chest pain
If there is severe bleeding
If you even suspect a spinal or neck injury
Suspected seizure

Regardless of whether or not the emergency falls into one of these categories, it is always better to be safe than sorry. It’s better to have a medical professional evaluate the situation and determine that you overreacted than to make the judgment call yourself and underreact.

First Aid Topics for Further Research: Caregivers in an Emergency Situation

Beyond CPR, there are several first aid protocols to procedures you should consider familiarizing yourself with. These include:

The Heimlich maneuver. If your loved one experiences a blocked airway and starts choking, acting quickly to remove the obstruction is crucial. Click here to learn more about the Heimlich maneuver.
How to manage bleeding. In the event of severe bleeding, you need to take immediate action. At a minimum, learn to apply pressure to the wound with a clean cloth, and any affected limbs or body parts should be elevated to help slow the bleeding. In a severe case, having knowledge of tourniquets and how to use them can be the difference between life and death. Once the bleeding has slowed, keep an eye out for infection over the next several days (i.e., if it’s hot to the touch, red, swollen, or pus-filled).
Burn treatments. The severity of the burn and its cause will determine the correct path for immediate treatment. Heat, chemicals, electricity, or radiation all have the potential to create a burn. Click here to learn more about how to manage burns.
Fractures and broken bones. The most important thing in the event of a suspected fracture or broken bone is to mobilize the affected area and call for emergency help in the event they can’t move themselves without risking further injury.

Closing Thoughts: CPR Tips for Caregivers

Caring for a loved one is a big responsibility to shoulder, but having pre-trained skills in emergency procedures like CPR can do wonders for your peace of mind. Having an arsenal of information in your mind you can easily access when a situation arises will help you and those around you stay calm.

The California Caregiver Resource Center of Orange County is here to provide assistance and guidance wherever we can. Check out our library of resources to help you navigate this experience. Together, we can navigate the healthcare landscape and help you provide the best possible care for your loved one(s).