Heart attacks and cardiac arrests are one of the leading causes for death worldwide. Often, death in such situations can be prevented if one is able to mitigate the effects and be able to be proactive in such a situation. Although cardiac arrest cannot be stopped, death of the individual can certainly be avoided if any person present in that room is able to perform CPR.

CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is a very important life-saving technique that consists of applying pressure over the chest in order to maintain oxygen levels in the blood so as to keep the vital organs functioning. “Chest Compressions! Chest Compressions! Chest Compressions” Chest compression, when done properly is a boon and can save many lives. Artificial ventilation , if required, may also be provided either by way of exhaling air into the mouth and nose of the victim or by taking the assistance of ventilator machines.

A must read – How basic first aid can save life? skills, recovery & CPR

Who should Learn CPR?

Contrary to popular belief CPR is a skill not to be learned only by medical professionals,  but rather it is a universal skill. One does not need to be qualified in medicine to learn CPR.  Anyone can learn CPR and the reasons to learn CPR are plenty but the most important reason is that learning CPR can help you help others, especially in an emergency  If CPR is performed immediately, the chances of survival also multiply.     

Why is CPR important?

If something saves lives, it is obviously important. Apart from that, there are many other reasons to learn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

1- Ability to save a precious life:

Every life is precious and learning CPR only reinforces the notion.Even if only the basics of cpr are covered, it can go a long way in the prevention of death. Given that almost ninety percent of cardiac arrests happen outside hospital realms, learning CPR becomes more crucial. 

If you happen to walk by a person suffering from a cardiac arrest on the street, instead of just being a passerby or an onlooker, you can instead by the saviour and help him by performing CPR       

2- Equips you in times of emergency:

Often, in times of emergency people panic and instead of easing  the situation, panic creates chaos. Chaos in times of emergency can be fatal and lead to huge losses especially when it is a medical emergency.  

However one of the most important reasons to learn CPR is to make CPR instinctive. A person who learns CPR will not panic easily since he is no longer ignorant. He can in fact become a tool of survival because of his ability to perform CPR in such an emergency.

3- CPR can prevent brain death:

In the event of a cardiac arrest, the heart ceases to pump blood. When this happens, the brain may not receive enough blood and oxygen. If the brain cells do not receive oxygen within five to six minutes, the cells start degenerating and start to affect the functioning of the brain and leading to a state of eventual braindead. 

The role of CPR here is not to prevent brain death all together, rather the importance of CPR here is to prolong the death by allowing some blood to still flow to the brain.

4- Value addition in Resume:

CPR is an important life skill. Learning CPR is now becoming more and more necessary. Adding this life skill to your resume can have a great impact on your employer especially if the job concerns taking care of babies or the eldery. Nowadays, even industries like the service and food industry can also encounter a lot of incidents at restaurants and hotels. If the staff knows how to perform CPR, the company is applauded. Hence, CPR can be a great value-addition to your skillset.

5-  Dissipate Danger at home:

 Out of the many cardiac arrests that occur  worldwide, the highest rate of occurrence is usually at the homes of the patients. If any of your family members, be it a new born baby or an elderly has a cardiac arrest, you can jump in and Perform Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and help mitigate the situation and prevent immediate death of the family member.            

6- Learning CPR makes you smarter:

Everytime we learn something new, we become smarter than our past selves. So learn CPR and become smarter. Moreover, you will look so cool in front of your family and friends if you’re able to save someone’s life.

You can also read – Basic CPR Techniques That Everyone Should Know

                                Should children be taught cpr in schools?

The importance of CPR cannot be stated enough. IF performed correctly, countless lives can be saved. At “catch training” we offer courses on CPR to help you be fully equip with CPR and all its techniques. Visit https://www.catch.nsw.edu.au/    to learn more about our programmes and help yourself help others.