Throughout the years, death due to cardiac arrest was considered unavoidable. In the past, CPR was specifically developed to revive individuals who are unresponsive due to sudden cardiac arrest. At the present, millions are undergoing training on CPR yearly yet a high percentage of individuals who suffer from cardiac arrest outside of any healthcare facility survive.
One way to increase the survival rates of individuals who experienced cardiac arrest as well as properly educate the public about emergency medical care is to differentiate the actual facts from the myths. If you have not heard about these so-called CPR myths, it is time to take note of the common myths that have already been debunked.
An individual can get killed if CPR is performed incorrectly
Always bear in mind that CPR will only help an individual suffering from cardiac arrest whether or not it is not performed correctly. It is still better to carry out CPR incorrectly than not perform it at all.
You will get sued if bystander CPR is performed
Once you deliver emergency medical assistance with CPR, AED or simply first aid measures, the Good Samaritan laws will protect you as long as you acted in a levelheaded and rational manner. In cases where the rescuer was reckless, negligent or just abandoned the victim after delivering initial care, the court will declare that the Good Samaritan law is not applicable.
If you are alone with the victim and not trained in CPR, you must not perform CPR
For bystanders who are not trained in CPR, they can perform compression-only CPR in order to buy time until the medical team arrives. Once emergency assistance is contacted, you will be provided with instructions over the phone on how to perform the chest compression.
First aid and certification is available online
Even though today you can complete first aid and CPR certification courses online, you are still required to complete the in-person skills phase in order to receive a certification. Those who are under training could not actually experience how to perform the skills with just a computer alone, thus this mode of training can be considered effective if it is combined with in-person skills training. At the present, there are many CPR training courses that promise an instant online certification, but these certifications could not comply with the requirements of majority of employers.
CPR training are boring and extensive
Once you decide to enroll in a CPR class headed by an experienced instructor who delivers the classes in an engaging manner, the training can be actually enjoyable. The classes only lasts for a few hours, thus time can quickly pass by if you will select the right instructor.
CPR will always work
In the movies and TV shows, it shows that CPR works all the time, but in reality, the actual rate of success is only 5-10% among adults. This depends on the timely delivery of the technique right after the victim collapsed. However, learning how to perform CPR is vital since it can increase the chances of survival of the victim.