About Demonstrating CPR
CPR is a commonly used abbreviation for for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is recognized the world over as a bona fide means of saving lives and stabilizing patients until first responders arrive. Like so many other lifesaving skills, CPR must be learned through experience. Although plenty of books, pamphlets, and illustrations show proper procedures and protocols, only demonstration and hands-on experience prepare a student to apply CPR correctly during an emergency.
History
Biblical scholars speculate that the Old Testament contains the first example of a CPR demonstration. In the book of 1 Kings 17:17-23, the writer talks about the prophet Elijah and a young boy who was "left without breath." Elijah stretched himself out over the child three times. Some versions translate the ancient Hebrew to mean Elijah placed his mouth over the child's mouth and within short order the child wakes up and is alive. To many, this account reads as a first attempt at CPR.
In 1767, Amsterdam formed the "Society for Recovery of Drowned Persons" with the express intent on resuscitating drowning victims. Following suit in 1774, London recognized the formation of the "Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned" which over time became the "Humane Society" (a link is provided in the resources section). These societies published their findings about resuscitation and went so far as to demonstrate apply pressure to the chest, perform mouth to mouth or mouth to nose breathing, and also stimulate the patient by other means in an effort to revive him.
Identification
Dr. James Elam proved to the American medical establishment in 1946 that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation could save a person who ceased breathing. Some time later, he and Dr. Peter Safar expanded on these findings and performed CPR exercises on volunteers. Eventually they demonstrated them in front of medical and military personnel, and this lifesaving procedure to become recognized by the American Medical Association.
Significance
Modern hospitals now offer infant and child CPR classes for expecting and new parents. Online CPR guides seek to demonstrate the correct way of administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation to young children. The Kids Health website (a link is provided in the resources section) urges parents not to forego this important training. Since the bones of infants are so fragile, and the relative sizes of their lungs so much smaller than those of adults, CPR procedures were adapted to resuscitate them. Kids Health asserts that if caught in time, CPR may be able to reverse sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the silent killer that claims the life of perfectly healthy infants.
Function
Demonstrating CPR focuses on three main aspects of the resuscitation procedure.
First comes a check for a clear airway; this requires the removal of any obstruction or foreign object.
Second is the actual breathing. Demonstrators teach students gently expel their breaths into the mouth of the patient. It must be done with just enough strength to inflate the patient's lungs, but not so much force as to cause damage.
Third are the chest compressions that are performed in between mouth to mouth breathing; these compressions stimulate the blood circulation to the organs as they mimic the actual beating of the heart.
Features
Various entities, such as the YMCA and the Red Cross, offer CPR classes in which certified teachers demonstrate these techniques. Teachers use mannequins since they provide instant feedback to the teacher and student with respect to the effectiveness of the efforts made.
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