CPR! Do You Know How to Administer CPR? Have You Ever Had to Use it??

Yes, I was given a CPR training by the Red Cross When I was still in my secondary education. Even other first aid trainings but I've already forgotten most of them except for the administration of CPR. Yet, I haven't encountered a situation where I have to administer CPR to someone in need of it.

I have taken CPR. In fact, I also conduct training programs on emergency care courses and it includes CPR. I do find the course very important to everyone. I have worked as a paramedic for about 13 years and have done CPR a couple of times already. It does save lives. How I wish that everyone will realize its importance and take the course. I am sure that if many will be able to learn, many more lives could be saved.

A job I worked at we had to learn CPR, and other first aid because the job was on the street, and we would be considered first responders if emergency personnel had not arrived. CPR is something useful to learn. The class I was in, they showed different techniques of CPR and first aid, especially with me because I was a 340 pound weightlifter (I'm a big boy) so things were different. My problem was not only my size, but I have a lot of muscle, so that poses another challenge. Conversely, I am not the person you want to administer CPR or perform the Heimlich maneuver. In training, we used dummys to practice CPR, and I accidentally crushed my dummy. If this was a real person, they would have been badly injured, even if I did managed to revive them, they would have literally have been crushed. Also, with the Heimlich, I actually did this to a person trying to dislodge whatever was in their throat. I give monster bear hugs, so you will know I am squeezing you when I doing the Heimlich. We also learned how to use the back of the chair to administer it to yourself, should that ever be the case. Conversely, because I am such a big guy, there were different techniques to treat bigger people. I don't remember too much with CPR, but I do remember the technique with the Heimlich, that involves literally punching someone in the stomach while they are up against a wall. The idea was to give enough force with the person braced against the wall to dislodge whatever was stuck. This does not work on smaller people because it would hurt, so I was told. Luckily, this was only done to me during demonstration.

No I haven't had CPR training. I am willing to sign up for a course though. But not now due to personal reasons. I think it is so important to know how to handle in case of cardiac or breathing arrest. I bet everyone would like to be around people who know how to do CPR too. So what are people waiting for? :)

I am a nurse by profession and have worked in an ambulance service for quite a time. I have a couple of times performed CPR to different people from victims of vehicular accident, drowning, heart attack. Truly such procedure will make a difference between living and dying. If given early and done right, the chances of survival will surely be high.