CPR, or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, is a procedure that manually stimulates a person’s blood circulation and breathing.
A person may use CPR when someone shows no breathing or abnormal breathing patterns.
For instance, CPR is often necessary to assist someone unresponsive due to drowning, hypothermia, or cardiac arrest.
CPR’s purpose is to manually stimulate blood flow to prevent brain tissue damage due to a lack of oxygen-rich blood.
It also helps keep the brain, heart, and vital organs required to survive functioning correctly.
How Does Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Work?
The CPR process involves performing multiple chest compressions, at least 100 compressions per minute.
Chest compression must also occur at a depth of at least 5 cm.
These compressions manually stimulate the person’s blood circulation by pumping blood through the patient’s heart.
Sometimes, chest compressions may not be enough to re-stimulate blood flow.
In these cases, the use of further support may be necessary to aid in restarting the patient’s heart.
In addition to chest compressions, CPR may also involve a defibrillator.
A defibrillator shocks the patient’s heart to restate it and help them regain regular blood circulation.
Another method performed during chest compressions is artificial respiration (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation).
Artificial respiration may aid in helping stimulate blood flow to the heart and brain.
That said, views on artificial respirations tend to change over time as new research and evidence become available.
CPR is often essential to basic life support and advanced cardiac life support.
It provides patients the best opportunity to survive and rehabilitate in an emergency.
What Does CPR Training Teach?
CPR courses provide students with valuable life-saving procedures.
Students in this course learn several essential skills depending on their chosen program.
Programs may include cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, first aid, and Automated External Delfribilator (AED) training.
Students learn how to work with others while providing CPR and how to treat choking victims and unresponsive people.
During training, students learn hands-only CPR and how to utilize AEDs and breathing equipment to resuscitate people.
CPR procedures vary depending on whether performing treatments on an infant, child, or adult.
As a result, students learn to perform CPR on various individuals to provide distinctive care based on their size and needs.
Finding a Good CPR Certification Course
Obtaining CPR training and certification is relatively straightforward.
Firstly, you’ll find a CPR certification course in your area.
You can find course information through local community resources.
It includes local libraries, colleges, universities, vocational schools, hospitals, and healthcare organizations in your area.
With that said, you must ensure the CPR course is accredited to receive adequate training and certification.
Establishments Offering CPR Classes:
- Local libraries
- Colleges/universities
- Vocational schools
- Hospitals
- Healthcare organizations
- Community health centers
- Fire departments
The CPR certification program is generally short compared to other certification programs.
Most individuals can complete this program within a few hours.
You must complete and pass a CPR test to earn your certification at the end of the CPR training class.
The test requires students to demonstrate proficiency with the CPR techniques they learned in class.
It may also require students to complete a written segment to verify they comprehend their training adequately.
Other Life Support Courses:
- What is Basic Life Support?
- What is Advanced Cardiac Life Support?
- What is Pediatric Advanced Life Support?
- What is Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support?
What Does CPR Stand For?
CPR stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is an emergency procedure that helps resuscitate people who stop breathing.
People who stop breathing also typically have unresponsive hearts and lungs that stop functioning.
Individuals with CPR training use their skills to restart the heart and provide oxygen to an individual’s lungs.
It also helps expand unresponsive people’s organ health and lifespan until they receive further care at a healthcare facility.
Sometimes CPR can revive individuals enabling them to breathe independently.
However, sustaining oxygen to the organs also benefits those who remain unresponsive.
How Lengthy Are CPR Courses?
Most individuals can complete CPR training in 2 – 3 hours.
The length of the program depends on the instructor, course components, and institution offering the certification.
As a result, some programs may occasionally take a little over 3 hours to complete.
Students may complete shorter programs focusing directly on cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in roughly 2 hours.
However, more extended programs with additional components like AED operation lean closer to 3 hours.
How Long is CPR Certification Good For?
CPR certification is good for approximately two years or 24 months from the certification date.
However, certificate holders must consult the training institutions to determine the length of their certificate validation.
To avoid retaking the class, certificate holders must also renew their certificates before their certification expires.
What About CPR Renewal?
Employers, like hospitals, police, and fire departments, often require workers to renew their CPR certification routinely.
It ensures that employees remain familiar with the training and provide adequate life-saving care if needed.
The renewal process also updates employees on the latest procedures to ensure they have the most effective training.
Lastly, healthcare professionals and first responders must renew their certificates within two years of their certification.
Those who do not successfully renew their CPR certification must retake the entire course.
Helpful Resources
Numerous resources and organizations provide education and certification in cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
The most familiar institutions include the American Heart Association, Red Cross, and the American Medical Association.
These organizations provide information on how to apply for and take the CPR certification program.
It’s important to know that learning CPR is a general requirement in many healthcare settings.
It ensures healthcare providers can adequately accommodate their patient’s needs in emergencies.
Other careers that respond to emergencies also teach CPR.
It includes police, fire departments, paramedics, EMTs, lifeguards, flight attendants, and other professionals.
However, most people can receive a certification if they’re interested in learning life-saving skills.
To learn CPR, you don’t need to be a healthcare professional or work in an emergency response setting.
Even if you are not required to take CPR training, it provides vital life-saving skills that may come in handy one day!