CPR is a crucial life skill that has been with us for decades, and it continues to evolve as new research and recommendations come up. Probably every one of you has heard about CPR, but how many can proudly say they’re actually familiar with it?
Given the importance of accurate chest compressions and rate in CPR, it’s essential that all people, regardless of age and profession, learn the basics of CPR. In Jacksonville, citizens have many opportunities to receive CPR training and education.
This article will aim to provide an answer to the question what is the recommended depth of compressions and rate in CPR so that all of you can better understand the importance of performing CPR correctly.
The Life-Saving Benefits of CPR
If you ever find yourself in a situation where a fellow human being is experiencing cardiac arrest or another medical emergency, performing immediate CPR could be the thin line between life and death.
We can’t stress enough how important it is to act quickly and show no struggles in such an emergency situation. The quicker you administer CPR, the better the chances of survival for the victim. In fact, if CPR isn’t immediately provided, the chances of survival decrease by 7-10% for every minute that passes before defibrillation.
Additionally, CPR helps reduce brain damage, as the brain can’t function properly without enough oxygen, and that’s what cardiac arrest does to the body. So, what happens when there’s not enough oxygen flowing to the brain?
Brain cells start to die within minutes. However, performing CPR helps circulate blood and provide oxygen throughout the body. To be clear, CPR isn’t an alternative to advanced medical care, but it can buy time and increase the chances of survival until medical help arrives.
You can learn all the components of CPR with the Jacksonville CPR classes that are enabled through collaboration with the American Heart Association. But for now, wondering what is the recommended depth of chest compressions and rate in CPR? Let’s dive in and find out!
The Recommended Depth of Compressions in CPR
When performing CPR, you need to be extremely careful with chest compressions because they directly impact the victim’s chances of survival. By administering chest compressions, you manually pump the victim’s heart and help restore blood flow to their organs.
Before going into depth about the recommended chest compressions in CPR, it’s important to note that this is different for adults and children. The guidelines for CPR can vary depending on the age and size of the victim. That’s why it’s important to stick to recommendations only and not try to improvise or guess the appropriate depth of chest compressions.
Performing Chest Compressions on Adults
We’ll start by explaining the recommended depth of chest compressions in CPR for adults. Sure, this can be a daunting task, but by participating in the Jacksonville CPR class, you can confidently and effectively perform chest compressions.
According to the American Heart Association, if an adult is experiencing cardiac arrest, you should perform chest compressions at a depth of at least 2 inches (5 centimeters) but no more than 2.4 inches (6 centimeters). Be careful to avoid getting confused, as the depth of chest compressions is measured from the sternum rather than from the surface of the chest.
However, you should remember to give the chest enough time to fully return to its normal position after each compression. This means that you should release the pressure you applied and let the chest recoil completely before you start the next compression.
When performing chest compressions on an adult, use the heel of your hand to push down the sternum. During this procedure, you should keep your arms straight and use your upper body weight to successfully administer the chest compressions.
Performing Chest Compressions on Children and Infants
Sadly, children and infants are also at risk of experiencing cardiac arrest. Even though the CPR technique is similar, there are a few differences between CPR for adults and CPR for children and infants in terms of chest compressions and rate of CPR.
When performing CPR on infants and children, the American Heart Association suggests that you should push down on their chest to depress at least one-third of the anterior-posterior diameter of the chest. Simply said, you should compress the chest to a depth of approximately 1.5 inches (4 centimeters) for infants and 2 inches (5 centimeters) for children.
Additionally, you should remember that if you’re performing chest compressions on infants, you should only use two fingers to compress the chest. On the other hand, when performing chest compressions on children, you should use the heel of one or both hands to push down the sternum.
The Recommended Rate of Compressions in CPR
Besides depth, the rate of chest compressions is also an important component you should consider. The recommended rate in CPR also differs between adults and infants, so we’ll proceed by explaining them separately.
Compression Rate in Adults
As adults are more prone to experiencing cardiac arrests due to underlying heart conditions, it is important to strictly stick to the recommended guideline by the American Heart Association. According to them, you should maintain the compression rate at about 100-120 per minute.
It’s important to maintain that same pace and not succumb to stress. That’s why you should consider taking the CPR Jacksonville class to learn how to correctly perform chest compressions and maintain a calm and clear mind during an emergency.
Compression Rate in Children and Infants
While the compression rate for children and infants also ranges between 100-120 compressions per minute, it’s important to note that when performing CPR on infants, it should be slightly faster at around 120 compressions per minute.
That’s because children and infants have smaller and more fragile bodies, and a bit faster compression rate is needed in order to maintain the blood flow throughout the body.
Let’s throw in an interesting fact. A little bit unconventional, but one study actually suggests that if you perform the compression rate at the rhythm of the popular children’s song ‘’Baby Shark’’, it can help you maintain the recommended compression rate during CPR on children and infants.
Final Guide to Performing CPR
CPR is important, and it should be treated as such. The American Heart Association is training more than 16 million people each year on correctly performing CPR. With the CPR Jacksonville classes, you can also take a part of the majority that’s working toward reducing the number of cardiac arrest-related deaths.
Did you know that four out of five cardiac arrest cases happen in private homes? This means that most of the time, healthcare providers aren’t able to provide immediate care, which means bystander CPR is now more important than ever.
With approximately 383,000 cardiac arrests that happen outside of a hospital setting, we cannot continue to overlook the importance of CPR. It’s pretty impressive how effective bystander CPR can be. In fact, it can increase the chances of survival by two or three times. However, only 32% of victims that have experienced cardiac arrest have received bystander CPR.
How to Provide CPR
The components of performing CPR might seem like a lot at first, but the basics of CPR can be learned in a few hours. To get you started, we’ll take a look at the recommended steps for performing the overall CPR procedure.
- If you see an unconscious person, check to see if they’re responding by tapping them on the shoulder and asking them if they’re okay.
- If there is no sign of response or the person isn’t breathing, you should immediately call 911 and inform them about the emergency.
- Before performing CPR, place the person on their back on a flat surface and make sure there’s no material that’s obstructing their airway.
- Make sure your arms are straight, and your elbows are locked.
- Start with performing chest compressions at a rate of 100-120 per minute and maintain the same pace. Perform 30 chest compressions at a depth of at least 2 inches but no more than 2.4 inches on adults. Don’t forget to allow the chest to return to its normal position after every compression.
- Give the victim 2 rescue breaths, each lasting about 1 second.
- Don’t stop the procedure until a healthcare provider arrives or repeat it if there’s no response after one cycle of 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths.
What is the Recommended Depth of Compressions and Rate in CPR: Key Takeaway
By now, you should understand how crucial it is to learn how to perform CPR. Cardiac arrest is a global health concern and can happen to anyone. Whether you find yourself in a situation where a stranger or a loved one falls victim to cardiac arrest, you should be prepared.
We can’t continue losing fellow humans under such circumstances. That’s why techniques like CPR exist and can help you cope with many emergencies and potentially save a human life.