Thread by @aushamaki

CPR TIPS PART ONE: Good morning ladies & gentlemen. Following yesterday's tweet about how my Dad taught me CPR & how it came in handy years later, there have been numerous requests to share the information & teach how to administer same. I have decided to share the knowledge.

In the interest of full disclosure however, I would like to state that I am not a healthcare professional. While I was taught CPR by my father who was a healthcare professional, there are limits to how written words can adequately convey such an intricate life saving skill.

Therefore, I would advise that the information I share is not taken as a substitute for practical demonstration. I would advise seeking additional practical demonstration afterwards. You can do so by visiting any offices of the Nigerian Red Cross across the country.

CPR stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. It is a procedure used to support and maintain breathing and circulation for an infant, child, or adult who has stopped breathing (respiratory arrest) and/or whose heart has stopped (cardiac arrest).

CPR is performed to restore and maintain breathing and circulation and to provide oxygen and blood flow to the heart, brain, and other vital organs. CPR can be performed by trained laypeople or healthcare professionals on infants, children, adolescents, and adults.

CPR should be performed if an infant, child, or adult is unconscious & not breathing. Respiratory & cardiac arrest can be caused by allergic reactions, an ineffective heartbeat, asphyxiation, breathing passages that are blocked, choking , drowning, drug reactions, shock,

or trauma. CPR is part of the emergency cardiac care system designed to save lives. Many deaths can be prevented by prompt recognition of cardiopulmonary arrest and notification of the emergency medical services (EMS).

When performed by a layperson, CPR is designed to support and maintain breathing and circulation until emergency medical personnel arrive and take over. When performed by healthcare personnel, it is used in conjunction with other basic and advanced life support measures.

CPR must be performed within 4 to 6 minutes after cessation of breathing to prevent brain damage or death. CPR consists of rescue breathing, which delivers oxygen to the victim's lungs, and external chest compressions, which help circulate blood through the heart to vital organs.

CPR technique differs for infants, children, and adolescents. The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross, the two organizations that provide CPR training and guidelines, distinguish infants, children, and adolescents for the purposes of CPR as follows:

"Infant" includes neonates (those in the first 28 days of life) and extends to the age of one year.
"Child" includes toddlers aged one year to children aged eight years.
"Adult" includes children aged eight years and older."

Because infants and children under the age of eight have smaller upper and lower airways and faster heart rates than adults, CPR techniques are different for them than for older children and adults.

Children and adolescents aged eight years and older have reached a body size that can be handled using adult CPR techniques and are thus classified as adults for delivery of CPR and life support. CPR is always begun after assessing the victim and contacting EMS.

PERFORMING CPR ON AN INFANT
For an infant, the rescuer opens the airway using a gentle head tilt/chin lift or jaw thrust, places their mouth over the infant's mouth and nose then delivers gentle breaths so that the infant's chest rises with each breath.

Chest compressions are delivered by placing two fingers of one hand over the lower half of the infant's sternum slightly below the nipple line and pressing down about one half inch to one inch.

Compressions are delivered at a rate of 100 times per minute, giving five chest compressions followed by one rescue breath in successive cycles.

PERFORMING CPR ON A CHILD AGED 1 TO 8:
For a child aged one to eight years, the compression rate is the same—five compressions and one rescue breath. Rescue breaths are delivered using a mouth-to-mouth seal, instead of mouth-to-mouth-and-nose.

Chest compressions are delivered by placing the heel of one hand over the lower half of the sternum and depressing about one to one and one half inches per compression.

PERFORMING CPR ON A CHILD AGED 8 AND OLDER:
For a child aged eight years and older, and for larger children under age eight, two hands are used for compressions, with the heel of one hand on the lower half of the sternum and the heel of the other hand on top of that hand.

The chest is compressed about one and one half to two inches per compression. Rescue breaths are delivered with a mouth-to-mouth seal. The compression rate is 80 to 100 per minute delivered in cycles of 15 compressions followed by two rescue breaths.

Before administering CPR to an infant or child, laypeople should participate in hands-on training. More than 5 million Americans annually receive training in CPR through American Heart Association and American Red Cross courses.

PRECAUTIONS:
To prevent disease transmission during CPR, face masks and face shields are available to prevent direct contact during rescue breathing. See image samples of face masks below. Images courtesy Jumia:

AFTER CARE:
Emergency medical care is always necessary after CPR. Once a person's breathing & heartbeat have been restored, place the person in the recovery position (left side of the body) and await the arrival of emergency medical services.

In many cases, successful CPR results in restoration of consciousness and life. Barring other injuries, a revived person usually returns to normal functions within a few hours of being revived. Abnormal results include injuries incurred during CPR and lack of success with CPR.

Possible sites for injuries include a person's ribs, liver, lungs, and heart. Partially successful CPR may result in brain damage. Unsuccessful CPR results in death.