During a cardiac emergency most people feel helpless to act. This is either because they don’t know how to administer CPR or they are afraid of hurting the victim. What most people don’t know is that without CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), over 90% of people will die! A pretty surprising and scary statistic.
CPR training is a standard requirement for all RMT’s. Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in Canada and when a teen or adult has sudden cardiac arrest, their survival depends on quickly receiving CPR from someone nearby. Immediate action can double or even triple a victim’s chance of survival. Knowing CPR can save a life, and learning it is easier than you might think. The basics of it are:
Step 1. CHECK
Tap the victim’s shoulder and look for any reaction. Ask if they’re ok. If they don’t react, check to see if their chest is rising and falling.
If you don’t see signs of breathing…
Step 2. CALL
Point to a person and tell them to call 911. If you’re alone, use the speaker on your cell phone to make the call.
Step 3. COMPRESS
Lay the victim flat on the ground. Remove any bulky clothing from the victim’s chest. Kneel over the victim’s chest and interlock your fingers. Using the heel of your palm push down in the centre of the chest, directly between the nipples.
Lock your arms straight, to keep from tiring out immediately.
Perform 100 compressions per minute, pushing down hard and fast, about 2 inches per compression. Don’t worry about pushing too hard. Doing something is always better than doing nothing. Keep going until help arrives.
A list of 100 songs to do CPR to was recently released! These songs are all 100 BPM, the right beat to perform CPR to! They include classics like Another One Bites The Dust by Queen, Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees and I Will Survive by Gloria Gayner. To see the whole list of 100 songs, sign up for your free Spotify account at https://www.spotify.com/ca-en/ and search “Songs to do CPR to”. Pick the song you like best and remember it in case you ever need to Check, Call and Compress!
You never know when you might be faced with a situation of saving a loved ones life. How wonderful would it be if we were all prepared!
A few places nearby where you can take the course are:
SOUTH SURREY
Grandview Acquatics Centre – 604 590 7800
16855 – 24 Avenue Surrey, BC
SOUTH SURREY
Sandcastle Fitness – 604 531 6255
1938 152 Street Surrey, BC
SURREY
St. John Ambulance Course – 604 953 1603
8911 – 152nd Street, Surrey BC
CLOVERDALE
Cloverdale Recreation Centre – 604 598 7960
6188 – 176th Street Surrey, BC
LANGLEY
Trauma Tech – 1 800 351 2266
Suite 201 – 19950 88th Avenue East
Langley, BC
