The Scary Side of CPR

No one ever wants to be in the position where they themselves need life saving CPR or need to give life saving CPR. Outside of the obvious loss of life, what other side effects and risks are associated with CPR?

In a matter of mere seconds, there are a multitude of side effects that could potentially happen during CPR:

• Breaking of the injured individuals ribs and other chest injuries. This commonly happens when giving chest compressions, as the American Heart Association recommends the chest to be decompressed 1-2 inches which requires a large amount of force.
• Exposure to harmful pathogens by both the victim and the savior. Whenever in close contact with another individual there is always a risk of passing an infection between the two, especially when giving mouth to mouth.
• The injured could frequently vomit & aspirate during CPR. It’s important to make sure this doesn’t happen during mouth to mouth and that the injured, who typically are unconscious, get the fluid cleared from their airway to prevent aspiration.

While these are all very scary things it’s important to remember that they are all risks in an effort to save someone's life during a cardiac event. Even better news is that CPR Your Life is now here and can help reduce the risk of some of these issues with the emergency rescue oxygen instrument. Be sure to always call 911 and seek medical attention in the event of an emergency.