Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is an essential first aid technique usually utilized to help someone who is unconscious, not breathing, or their heart has stopped beating. It involves the use of well-timed chest compressions, and sometimes rescue breaths, to help sustain the oxygen and blood flow circulation in the body.

It is essential to learn when is CPR utilized because tragedy can strike anywhere at any time, and CPR is usually a very crucial first-aid technique to learn because it is often used in emergencies. Some of the situations that require the knowledge of CPR are:

1. Cardiac Arrests / Heart Attacks

It is reported that this is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. It occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating and the victim suddenly collapses. It requires CPR to better the chance of recovery of the victim and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to administer a shock if needed. The survival rate of victims that are not given CPR is lower compared to their survival rate when they are given CPR.


2. Choking

When oxygen flow to the heart is interrupted, the heart can no longer get oxygen to replenish the blood of its impurities and if not attended to quickly, portions of the heart will begin to die. It is important that the item obstructing the airflow should be removed as fast as possible. Sometimes, the victim can fall unconscious, so prepare to perform CPR on them. It is also advised to do abdominal thrusts and backblows.


 3. Drowning

According to statistics from the CDC, about ten people die each day from accidental drowning in the United States. CPR is very critical in drowning accidents wherein the victim is not breathing and every moment counts. The person should be immediately relocated to dry land and given CPR to increase chances of survival.


4. Drug Overdoses

These situations can cause people to have respiratory failure and cardiac arrest when unattended. Their survival rate depends on how soon CPR is administered and how soon the victim is brought to medical professionals. It is vital to learn CPR as being equipped with the knowledge can potentially save many lives.

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Bringing new life to this world is a huge thing that makes you really enthusiastic and overjoyed. You have prepared for this very moment for the last nine months and did everything, from reading up on all kinds of parenting books, baby-proofing, bought things for the baby, etcetera. It is a very exciting thing, however it is also very challenging and is definitely not a walk in the park.

There is just so much parenting and growing up to do in the first few months and years of the baby. However, of course, there are times wherein accidents will certainly happen. One of these mishaps could be your precious little baby choking. Nobody wants that to happen. Most can not even bear to think about it. We know, it is gruesome. However, you need to know how to prevent it from happening, and here are ways to decrease that from ever occurring:

1. Don’t leave your children with any small things

When you are leaving your child and they are unattended, never, and we repeat, never leave them with items that are a child hazard. Any little toys, things, food, or doodads. You do not want to run the risk of them choking.


2. Cut up your baby’s food into small bits

If you are feeding your child, make sure to cut their food into smaller morsels, to avoid any possible risk of them choking. Also, do not give them too much at a time, and make sure they have chewed and swallowed before giving another.


3. Obediently follow “Keep out of reach of children” warning!

This warning is really helpful! It can eliminate the potential hazard of your baby tampering and possibly digesting this item. Make sure to place them in a safe area where they can not possibly have access to it.


4. Have baby-safe areas around the house.

Designate a place in the house where the baby is free from any kind of danger. Anything dangerous that they can reach is gone, and only leave things that are proven to be safe are left in the area for the baby to explore or toy around with.

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There is no possible way of seeing into the future. A lot of accidents can happen without being premeditated. Let us say we set a scene where you and your family are having a great time at your weekly family barbecue, and then, one who had too much, suddenly drops down and starts to have an attack. 

There is a lot of sources stating that lots of Americans lose their lives due to a heart attack every year. Even scarier than that, a lot of Americans also do not have the knowledge of performing life-saving actions. A lot of lives could have been saved if more people knew about the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CLS) or basic life training (BLS). This is why BLS training is really important. Here are reasons as to why:

1. More deaths can be prevented

There is a great deal of satisfaction that comes with the feeling of saving one’s life. The feeling of pure bliss knowing that you have done your part to ensure the victim’s prolonged life.


2. A lot of cardiac-related deaths happen in your household

It would be of great help if someone in your family knew about basic life training to ensure that your loved ones are safe, healthy, and does not give in to the worst possible case.


3. You will be more first-aid ready

Becoming first-aid ready will be greatly helpful for any kind of event that involves an accident. It will sure prove itself really useful in the long run.


4. Ensures better victim recovery

In the event of an accident without CPR or BLS, the chances of the victim of recovery will be very low when compared to an event where CPR or BLS is administered. It makes a great deal of a difference in the patient’s recovery chance and the sooner it is performed, the better the outcome will be for sure.

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If you are bored and looking for something new and productive to do, we have a suggestion for you: learn CPR training. Here at CPR Chicago, we offer the best and only the best experience for you in learning CPR. CPR training is a delicate and tremendously great tool or achievement to have. CPR helps keep the blood and oxygen circulation in your system flowing normally, and dramatically increases the chances of survival in those who are in cardiac arrest. 

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or more commonly known as CPR is a procedure used in emergencies that combines chest compressions often with mouth-to-mouth artificial ventilation to physically sustain intact brain function until further advanced measures are taken to restore average blood circulation and breathing in the person who is in cardiac arrest.

In performing CPR, it is both crucial to know when to start and when to stop. When to start is easy and usually discussed at large at first when teaching CPR; you start giving chest compression when a person shows no signs of life after ten seconds. It is a commonly asked and answer question when it comes to CPR.