Basic CPR Awareness — What Everyone Should Know
When someone's heart stops, brain damage begins within 4-6 minutes. Waiting for paramedics without doing anything dramatically reduces survival chances. Hands-only CPR is simpler than you think: call emergency services, place the heel of your hand on the center of the chest, lock your other hand on top, and push hard and fast — about 2 inches deep, at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute (the tempo of "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees).
Do not worry about breaking ribs — broken ribs heal, but a stopped heart without help does not restart. You cannot make it worse by trying; doing nothing is the only guaranteed bad outcome. If an AED (automated external defibrillator) is available, use it — it gives voice instructions and will not shock unless needed. Take a CPR certification course — it takes a few hours and gives you the confidence to act when every second counts.
Living experience
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You don't need to be certified to save a life. Hands-only CPR: push hard, push fast, center of chest, to the beat of "Stayin' Alive." I took a 2-hour course and I'd do it again every year.
The "Stayin' Alive" rhythm tip is genius and easy to remember in a crisis.