Let’s start with a hypothetical scenario where a stranger, or even one of your friends, collapses. You check the person’s pulse and there’s nothing there. You begin to panic at this point, and you don’t know whether to wait for medical help or start performing CPR.

These situations are very scary, but no matter what, you need to act immediately. You may not have time to wait for medical help, and immediate CPR will save the person. This scenario demonstrates how CPR training can benefit everyone and saves many lives as well.

Why is CPR Important?

There are many reasons why learning CPR is important. In addition to saving lives, it also has some general benefits for you and those around you. These benefits include:

• CPR saves lives – Since the heart cannot pump blood after sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), CPR keeps oxygenated blood flowing to the heart and brain.
• The sooner you give CPR, the better – It’s understandable to go into shock when someone collapses, but acting as quickly as possible is vital. Performing CPR on someone going into SCA will increase the chances of their survival. Every minute an SCA victim goes without CPR, their chance of survival decreases by 10%.
• It makes AEDs more effective – CPR helps keep blood flowing and nourishes the organs while you wait for an AED. The survival rates of an SCA victim increase by 9% if you use CPR and an AED.
• CPR prevents brain death – Brain death occurs 4-6 minutes after the heart stops beating. Since CPR keeps oxygenated blood flowing to the heart, it keeps the heart from stopping and prevents brain death.
• Most cardiac arrests happen at home – About 88% of all sudden cardiac arrests occur at home. Learning CPR can help you increase the chances of survival for someone you know and love.
• It’s easy to learn – You can learn how to perform hands-only and compression-only CPR from home. Enrolling in a CPR course and watching a few online videos is easy.

Who Should Learn CPR?

70% of Americans don’t know how to perform CPR and feel helpless in the event of an emergency. It’s important to learn CPR because you never know when a crisis may arise. Everyone, including adolescents, should learn CPR. However, for some groups, it is essential to learn these skills. For example:

Parents/Legal Guardians

Children are especially prone to injuries. Parents and guardians must learn how to address these events and prevent emergencies. Learning the basics of first aid and CPR helps parents and legal guardians provide care in these emergencies.

Professional Caregivers and Service Professionals

Other than healthcare providers and emergency responders who require CPR training, there are additional jobs that can benefit from CPR training. For example, those working in nursing homes, daycares, and airports. Caregivers, predominantly adult caregivers, must learn CPR since older adults are at greater risk of injury.

Children

86% of children ages 10 and over are physically strong enough to perform CPR correctly and efficiently. Proper training can help them learn what to do in an emergency. This can be especially helpful for children with younger siblings or those looking to start babysitting.

Everyone can learn CPR. It comes with a multitude of benefits, and there’s a chance that you will save lives! Learn more about CPR training and how to enroll in classes. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Specialized Health and Safety anytime!