Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure classified only as first aid for cardiac arrest incidence. Its main purpose is to provide oxygen to the brain and other vital organs thru the restoration of the patient’s heartbeat and breathing. When the brain did not receive oxygen for over five minutes, it will suffer permanent damage therefore CPR should be done immediately since this increases the patient’s chances or making a full recovery. Because cardiopulmonary resuscitation is first aid, it keeps the oxygenated blood flowing to the brain only temporarily, when the patient has reached the hospital, other needed equipment are necessary to continue the patient’s breathing and heartbeat at a normal level.CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation has lowered mortality rates from emergency cases such as cardiac arrest. This is a very effective procedure in rescuing lives.

There are certain conditions required before providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. These are needed to look for:

• Unconscious or unresponsive
Check if the victim is conscious, shake and hold the victim by the shoulders and call the victim by name or if you don’t know the victim address him or her as ma’am or sir. Victims that experience respiratory or circulatory collapse will become unconscious because of oxygen deprivation thus the victim cannot elicit any responses from any stimuli.
• Abnormal pulse rate or no pulse at all
The normal pulse rate is 100-60 beats per minute. If you have checked the pulse (usually at the carotid and the brachial) and the pulse is greater than 100 or less than 60, then the victim has an abnormal pulse. Also check for the victim’s pulse strength. Check if it is weak or bounding, irregular or regular. Most victims with cardiac or respiratory attacks may have a thread pulse or no pulse at all.
• Absence of breathing
This is an important condition to look for before providing CPR. Place your ear near the victim’s mouth and nose while looking at the victim’s chest to observe for the rise and fall. If you didn’t feel air coming out from both the victim’s mouth and nose and if the chest is not moving, provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation immediately. When there is oxygen deprivation, oxygen is not distributed to the body’s cells especially the brain which will eventually result to irreversible brain damage if more than six minutes have passed without the CPR interventions. That is why it is highly essential to restore the blood circulation to increase the victim’s chances of survival.

The American heart association highly recommends the performance of appropriate CPR with high quality chest compressions as the priority to keep the circulation of oxygenated blood which will sustain the brain and keep the victim alive with higher chances of survival while waiting for professional emergency medical services. Training centers such as CPR Recertification Greenville always reminds the necessity of looking for the conditions that must exist before providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. They also believe that having a classroom based and relaxed environment promotes fast and quality learning.