High-quality CPR means performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a manner that maximizes the victim’s chances of survival and positive outcomes. It plays a pivotal role in saving lives by effectively maintaining blood circulation and oxygen delivery to vital organs, especially the brain and heart. It is crucial in cardiac emergencies like cardiac arrest, drowning, shock from severe trauma, or suffocation.
An effective combination of chest compression and rescue breaths with proper ventilation is the key to high-quality CPR. Use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) after initiating CPR significantly improves the survival rate. Any delayed response can mean the difference between life and death. So, it is important to deliver timely and high-quality CPR by assessing the situation of the victim. While every CPR should be high quality, we still need to be extra cautious in case of some victims where basic CPR may not be effective.
Follow this blog to know which victims require high-quality CPR.
Components of High Quality CPR
The quality of CPR depends on various factors such as rate and depth of chest compressions, pauses in between the compressions, or delivery of rescue breaths. The combination of effective chest compressions and rescue breaths makes a high-quality CPR, which helps in increasing the chances of survival of a cardiac arrest victim.
Here are the key components of a high-quality CPR:
1. Proper Chest Compression Rate and Depth: You should be able to achieve a high chest compression fraction for high-quality CPR. Make sure that you provide 100 to 120 chest compressions per minute with a 2-inch depth for adult victims.
2. Full Chest Recoil: It’s important to let the chest fully recoil after each compression to allow the heart to refill with blood. It ensures that the next compression is as effective as the previous one.
3. Minimal Interruptions: You need to keep interruptions to chest compressions under 10 seconds whenever possible. Every second without compressions can reduce the chances of survival. It’s crucial to resume compressions as quickly as possible after giving breaths or switching rescuers’ positions.
4. Effective Rescue Breaths: After every 30 compressions, you need to give 2 rescue breaths. Always make sure the chest visibly rises with each breath by ensuring the airway is open and proper ventilation.
5. Proper Hand Placement and Body Position: High-quality CPR is affected by your hand placement and body position. Your hands should be on the center of the chest, right between the nipples, when providing chest compressions. Also, make sure to keep your elbows straight and shoulders directly over your hands to use your upper body strength efficiently.
Related Post: Is BLS and CPR same?
Identifying Which Type of Victims Require High-Quality CPR
To be fair, everyone who needs CPR requires high-quality CPR. There shouldn’t be a thing like low-quality CPR because you are risking somebody’s life if you are not using the right CPR techniques. Delivering high-quality CPR means you are performing all the processes correctly. It greatly increases the victim’s chances of survival from a life-threatening emergency.
However, some victims are at higher risk and have a greater need for rapid, effective CPR. Let’s look at who these higher-risk CPR victims are and why delivering timely CPR techniques is so crucial for giving them the best chance at life.
1. Cardiac Arrest Victims
Cardiac arrest victims are individuals whose hearts suddenly stop beating. These victims require immediate CPR to keep blood flowing and oxygen circulating throughout their bodies. Without immediate intervention, cardiac arrest victims face the risk of irreversible brain damage or death. Therefore, delivering high-quality CPR promptly is critical in providing them with the best chance of survival and positive outcomes. Every second counts in giving them a fighting chance.
2. Drowning Victims
Drowning victims are another group that requires high-quality CPR for their survival. When someone is drowning, their lungs may fill with water, causing them to stop breathing and their heart to stop beating. In these situations, CPR is crucial for removing water from the lungs, bringing back breathing, and restarting the heart. Quick, quality CPR on drowning victims rapidly restores oxygen to their system and potentially saves their lives.
3. Choking Victims
Choking victims also require high-quality CPR. When an object is stuck in a person’s throat, it obstructs the airway. This can cause a sudden inability to breathe. In such situations, prompt and effective CPR is needed to remove the obstruction and restore the victim’s ability to breathe. Without immediate intervention, choking victims face the risk of severe oxygen deprivation and even death. Therefore, ensuring high-quality CPR is crucial in providing the best chance of survival and recovery for choking victims.
Must Read: What Should You Do Before Giving Breaths to an Unresponsive Choking Person
4. Drug Overdose Victims
According to updated guidelines by the American Heart Association for overdose death, it’s crucial to perform CPR for overdose victims when they are unresponsive and not breathing normally. Overdosing on drugs, especially opioids, can slow down or stop a person’s breathing. CPR can help keep their oxygen levels up until medical help arrives.
5. Trauma Victims
Trauma victims require high-quality CPR to address their life-threatening condition. When individuals sustain severe injuries from accidents or falls, their heart function may cease, leading to cardiac arrest. In such critical situations, immediate and effective CPR is crucial for maintaining blood circulation until emergency services can deliver advanced medical care. Without timely intervention, trauma victims face increased risks of irreversible damage or death.
6. Respiratory Arrest Victims
Some conditions, like severe asthma attacks or allergic reactions, can cause a person’s breathing to fail. When this happens, CPR is the immediate treatment for respiratory arrest. It ensures oxygenation of the body’s vital organs, including the brain and heart. By promptly initiating CPR, responders can help sustain the victim’s oxygen levels until they can receive appropriate medical interventions to address the underlying cause of respiratory failure.
7. Electrocution Victims
Electrocution victims who suffer from disruptions to the heart’s rhythm due to electrical shocks require high-quality CPR. When electrical shocks lead to cardiac arrest, initiating CPR promptly is crucial in maintaining blood circulation and oxygenation to vital organs. According to the CDC, while immediate defibrillation would be ideal, CPR given within approximately 4 minutes of the electrocution, followed by advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) measures within approximately 8 minutes, can be lifesaving. CPR can improve their chances of survival until they receive medical assistance.
8. Hypothermia Victims
When individuals are exposed to extremely cold temperatures, it can slow down their heart rate to a dangerous level, leading to hypothermia. CPR can be highly beneficial for hypothermia victims until they receive proper medical treatment. Without timely intervention, hypothermia victims face severe risks, including organ failure, cardiac arrest, and, ultimately, death.
Also read: How to Give Recommended Resuscitation in High Altitude?
Benefits of High-Quality CPR
As a first responder, your role in delivering prompt and high-quality CPR significantly improves the person’s chances of survival until EMS arrives. High-quality CPR provides several important benefits during cardiac arrest resuscitation, such as:
- It helps to maintain blood flow to vital organs, such as the brain and heart, to prevent significant damage.
- High-quality CPR delivers essential oxygen to the lungs, ensuring proper oxygenation of the blood and supporting cellular function.
- It improves the chances of successful defibrillation by creating a favorable electrical environment in the heart.
- High-quality CPR significantly increases survival rates from cardiac arrest when performed promptly and effectively.
- It also enhances the likelihood of better neurological outcomes by minimizing brain damage through adequate blood flow and oxygenation.
- Serves as a crucial bridge to advanced medical care, maintaining circulation until professional help arrives.
Must Read: How Does the Good Samaritan Law Protect Those Who Perform CPR?
Take Action: Learn High-Quality CPR with Heart Start CPR
If you want to be prepared for cardiac emergencies and save the lives of those facing cardiac arrest, choking, drug overdose, stroke, electrocution, and other emergencies, then learn CPR. High-quality CPR can make the difference between life and death for those victims.
Sign up for HeartStart CPR training today and be ready to make a life-saving difference when it matters most. We offer both classroom and online courses. Choose the one that fits your comfort and learn from the expert instructors. Enroll, earn your certification, and take the first step towards making a difference in emergencies.
