It’s Wednesday night and you are on your way home from work. As you are driving home you realize that you promised your wife that you would pick up some milk for tomorrow morning’s breakfast. You stop by the local Trader Joe’s and as you’re walking back to the dairy section, an elderly man falls to his knees and then to the ground, clutching his chest. A woman screams, “Help!!! Does anyone know CPR?!?” What is Hands Only CPR?
You run over, and roll him onto his back. He’s pale, his skin is cold, and he is sweating. Eyes rolled back in his head, the man is not breathing. Worse yet, when he fell to the floor, he broke his nose and his face is covered in blood.
What do you do?
Hands Only CPR!
You’re afraid to give mouth to mouth. It’s ok, I would be too. With all of the talk of bloodborne pathogens now, do you want to take a chance? It is up to you. You have a decision to make and your actions could save the stranger’s life. At the same time however, you could be risking your own.
Pocket masks can offer you protection, but many people do not carry them. So what is your other option? Hands Only CPR. The American Heart Association has come out with a simple way for you to help.
Here are the steps:
- Call 911
- Push Hard and Fast In The Center Of The Chest
Sounds easy, right? It is… Hands Only CPR will be more effective than doing nothing. It might not be a bad idea to take a CPR class, however. It will give you peace of mind next time you’re out buying milk.
