What is High-Quality CPR?

High-quality CPR is cardiopulmonary resuscitation that meets performance metrics prepare by international resuscitation guidelines. When a patient in cardiac arrest receives loftier-quality CPR, their chances of survival and neurological outcomes improve. In fact, high-quality CPR makes it up tofour times more likely that a victim neurologically recovers.

Always remember to ensure the scene is prophylactic and call 911 before starting CPR. If you lot tin can deliver chest compressions while you or a boyfriend rescuer is on the phone with 911, that is swell. Otherwise, if y'all are alone and demand to exit to admission a phone, prioritize calling 911 over starting CPR.

Dr. Benjamin Abella, Managing director, Center for Resuscitation Science, U Penn, describes the importance of loftier-quality CPR and how information technology directly impacts SCA outcomes

Components of High-Quality CPR

In 2020, based on updates to the international CPR guidelines, the AHA released updated guidelines on how to deliver high-quality CPR to adults. These guidelines offer four principal metrics to meet to ensure the CPR you give to adult victims is as safety and effective equally possible. Let'due south have a closer look!

1. Condom, Supportive Positioning and Location

During CPR, your hands must be placed appropriately to ensure accurate and safe breast compressions. You should place the heel of one of your hands in the centre of the victim'south chest toward the bottom third of their sternum. Fold your other hand over the top, interlacing your fingers to create a good grip.

If y'all can perform CPR safely where the victim is constitute, practice non movement the victim. Ideally, you will perform CPR on a firm surface and the victim will be on their back.

2. Compression Rate and Depth

The recommended compression rate for high-quality CPR is between 100 and 120 compressions per minute. Rates above or below this range reduce the chances of survival of the victim.

The American Heart Association has adult a playlist to assistance people remember the correct charge per unit for chest compressions, past using the beat of a familiar vocal! All of the songs in this playlist are between 100–120 beats per minute.

When delivering compressions, the amount of time you spend compressing the chest and allowing it to recoil should, ideally, be equal. Leaning on the chest should be avoided between each compression.

A person performing CPR should compress the adult victim's chest to at to the lowest degree two inches, simply no more ii.4 inches. For prepubescent children and babies, the compression depth should be 1.5 inches (4 cm) in infants to ii inches (v cm) in children. When doing CPR, focus on getting the compressions down to the correct depth.

three. Chest Pinch Fraction, Rescue Breathing, and Pauses

Chest pinch fraction (CCF) is the proportion of CPR time spent providing compressions during a cardiac arrest event. When performing CPR, you lot need to minimize whatsoever pauses in chest compressions to have adequate CCF. The AHA recommends a CCF of at to the lowest degree lx%. That means you lot are spending lx% or more of the time delivering compressions. If you give rescue breaths, any intermission you lot make for delivering them should be equally short as possible, bearing in heed that according to the AHA each rescue breath should terminal one 2nd.

When someone is in cardiac arrest, ordinarily the blood oxygen levels are sufficient for at least iii-v minutes, and perhaps longer. Even so, their blood needs help circulating what oxygen they do have and demand to their organs and tissues. When compressions are interrupted for too long, at that place is non enough claret flow to deliver oxygen to important organs and tissues.

According to the American Heart Association, the recommended compression-ventilation ratio for one or 2 rescuers for an adult is thirty:2. This ratio is the number of compressions (30) and breaths (two) during ane bike of CPR.

4. AED shocks

If you proceeds admission to an AED before medical personnel arrive on the scene, make sure to plow it on and follow its prompts to deliver safe, effective shocks to the victim as presently as possible.

Larn how to employ an AED

Loftier-Quality CPR Steps

There are some differences in how to administer CPR, depending on the person's age or size. Infants, Children, and Adults each have different CPR requirements.

Here are the Key Steps for Providing High-Quality CPR:

  • Make sure the scene is safe for you and the victim.
  • Check breathing and responsiveness. If there is no breathing, or only unusual gasping, and the person is not responsive, the person requires CPR.
  • Phone call911! If you are lonely, discover a phone and phone call. If someone is with you, tell them to telephone call 911 while you begin CPR. You lot tin can also call from your cell phone on speakerphone as you begin compressions.
  • Push! Outset compressions. Hands-only CPR (that is, continuous chest compressions without rescue breaths), even if it'southward not performed perfectly, greatly increases a person's chances of survival. If you are willing, able, or trained in CPR,provide rescue breaths at a rate of ii breaths for every 30 compressions during one cycle of CPR. Call up to keep pauses to compressions as brusque every bit possible and practice not over ventilate the patient. If you aren't willing or able to do rescue breaths, you can still jump in and assist by providing easily-but CPR, which will still profoundly improve the victim's run a risk of survival.
  • Subsequently initiating high-quality CPR, the next thing you would demand to do is administrate ashock.When an AED arrives, deliver a daze if needed.
  • Go on CPR until prehospital providers get in.

5 common CPR mistakes to avoid

i. Rescuer Exhaustion

Providing the proper pinch depth at the proper rate can exist exhausting. When rescuers become exhausted, they can deliver compressions that are likewise shallow or besides slow. They tin can too lean too heavily on the victim, blocking complete breast recoil. When two or more rescuers are bachelor, the AHA recommends switching off who does compressions every two minutes, which is about 5 cycles of thirty compressions and 2 rescue breaths.

2. Leaning on the Victim Too Much

You demand to have your full weight off of the victim betwixt compressions. The breast needs to recoil fully between compressions. Consummate breast recoil is essential because it allows the breast to fully aggrandize, which creates negative pressure that pulls blood back into the chest and cardiac tissues. Cartoon blood back into the breast allows for the eye to get the oxygen information technology needs to survive the ordeal. Leaning or keeping pressure on the breast between each pinch is the master cause of incomplete chest recoil and volition really decrease blood menses, reducing the quality of CPR.

3. Mistiming Chest Compressions Around AED Shocks

Brand sure your hands are clear from the victim when delivering an AED shock then you tin avoid being shocked yourself. However, the gap between when your compressions stop and when the shock is delivered should be as short as possible. Similarly, you should resume compressions as presently as is safe later on delivering an AED shock.

4. Checking for A Pulse

The AHA only recommends that healthcare workers check for a pulse. If you lot are a lay rescuer, whether you are trained or not, y'all should not waste time checking for a pulse if someone is unresponsive. This is considering it is difficult to tell if someone has a pulse or not during a medical emergency, and information technology is easy to get it wrong and waste precious time.

5. Overemphasis on Rescue Breaths

Bystanders should exercise pinch-only CPR if they are unable, untrained, or unwilling to provide rescue breaths.According to the AHA , if you run into an adult suddenly plummet y'all should— at a minimum —telephone call 911 and provide high-quality breast compressions by pushing hard and fast in the center of the breast, minimizing interruptions.The AHA emphasizes chest compressions over rescue breaths, since the circulation of oxygen to vital organs is more than important than delivering more oxygen to the victim.

Determination

Loftier-quality CPR saves lives! In fact, according to the American Heart Clan,high-quality CPR is one of the about important factors to improve the risk of survival from cardiac abort.

FAQ

Take a await at some common questions we run into about high-quality CPR.

Which Victims Require Loftier-Quality CPR?

All people suffering from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) require high-quality CPR! SCA can occur in people of all ages and can occur at any time. High-quality CPR increases the chances of a person surviving, and leaving the infirmary without lasting damage to their heart or brain.

Why is Allowing Complete Chest Recoil Important when Performing Loftier-Quality CPR?

Allowing consummate chest recoil allows the breast to fully expand, which creates negative pressure level, pulling blood dorsum into the chest and cardiac tissues. Cartoon blood back into the breast allows the middle to get the oxygen it needs to survive the ordeal.

How do You Perform Chest Compressions when Providing High-Quality CPR to a Child?

Children crave chest compressions at the same rate as adults. The main departure is the force needed on the chest. If the child is young or small, you may merely need to utilise i manus to press down one and a half inches into the breast. Older and larger children may need two inches of depth compression.