‘Don’t Panic! Just Pump! CPR Saves Lives’
Heart Foundation demonstrates importance of learning lifesaving procedure
Published:Saturday | August 24, 2024 | 2:48 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
When Lorie-Ann Hibbert was a youngster going to primary school, one of her close friends collapsed and was in critical need of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
She stood there in fear and could only manage to watch as someone else rushed in to assist her friend.
Speaking with The Gleaner yesterday during the HEART/NSTA Trust’s Skills Day Expo where the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) provided CPR demonstrations, Hibbert explained that although she had not encountered another person in need of resuscitation since then, she believes everyone should learn the emergency lifesaving procedure.
“I always wondered what’s it’s like to do something like that,” she said of CPR.
With a baby strapped to her body, Hibbert looked on while a demonstration was being done on an infant mannequin. She was both intrigued and terrified as she watched.
She expressed that all Jamaicans needed to learn how to save a life in this way because “it could be life or death” when one is faced with having a person nearby needing CPR.
“You never know what can happen,” Hibbert said, adding that people should understand the importance of life and that within a flash, something simple can become very complicated.
RELUCTANCE TO LEARN CPR
Today marks the end of CPR Week which started on Monday. This year it is being observed under the theme ‘Don’t Panic! Just Pump! CPR Saves Lives’.
The HFJ closes out its activities with a family and friends CPR Day from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at its 28 Beechwood Avenue, St Andrew office today.
CPR is defined as an emergency treatment that is performed when a person’s breathing or heartbeat has stopped and they have become unresponsive. This can be a result of having a heart attack, choking or nearly drowning.
Speaking with The Gleaner, Alonzo Mothersill, training manager at HFJ, stated that too often when persons collapsed, the people around them begin to panic, while the first instinct of some is to use their smartphones to video-record the incident.
He stated that there was a general reluctance among Jamaicans to learn how to administer CPR and that there were many who did not see the importance of learning the skill until a loved one or friend needed it.
Mothersill urged everyone to be proactive and learn CPR, as quite often incidents occurred at home where the procedure could save a life.
“If you do CPR, you can give the person the best chance to survive. If you don’t do CPR though, these persons could die. So, it’s good to know what to do in the case of an emergency,” he explained.
He noted that once an individual is not breathing, there is no pulse, and no signs of life, then CPR is needed.
CHOKE ON GUINEP SEED
CPR instructor Artize Aransevia shared that during the summer holidays, especially when guinep is in season, there tends to be choking incidents in children, as they will accidentally swallow the seed.
Demonstrating how to assist someone who is suffering from a blocked airway, he stated that in the case of an infant, five back slaps and five chest thrusts or compressions should be administered. This should be done until the object blocking the airway has been dislodged.
For an adult or older child, Aransevia said, five abdominal thrusts or compressions must be performed or until the object has been ejected.
In the instance of drowning, CPR would be performed consisting of typically 30 compressions followed by two breaths into the person’s mouth for five cycles before reassessing.
“Ideally, you’d want to reassess after two minutes,” he added.
According to the HFJ, CPR is not only a critical lifesaving skill that can be used at home, but all members of the workforce should receive certification.
The HEART/NSTA Trust’s Skills Day Expo also featured demonstrations in other skills.