Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a technique that saves lives. CPR includes chest compressions as well as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. As the person performing CPR, you have to be in close contact with the victim, even breathe into his mouth. Thus, it is essential that you take precautionary measures to avoid any contamination by infected saliva, blood or other body fluids.
Here are certain safety precautions you must keep in mind if you are performing CPR.
* Shields and masks: When you perform CPR on a patient be sure to wear a face shield or mask to avoid direct contact with the patient. During rescue breathing, it is possible for fluids to be transferred from patient to you and a mask will protect you. Face shields are transparent and contain a one-way valve through which you can provide the rescue breaths. The mask prevents direct contact with saliva and blood of the patient.
* Gloves: If you are a health care worker or a paramedic and administer CPR regularly, you must always wear gloves. This is to avoid direct contact with the patient’s potentially infected blood, vomit or other body fluids. Your health is important and keeping yourself clean is very necessary to prevent infections. Wash your hands with soap after every CPR administration.
* Gowns and Eye gear: In a hospital or clinic setting, it is required that you don gowns and eye gear when you perform CPR in case of blood getting accidentally splattered on your face or eyes.
* Disposing dirty equipment: Once you finish CPR, dispose all the dirty equipment like gowns and eye gear, masks and gowns into a bio hazardous bin.
* Victim’s health: The use of protective equipment like masks and face shields not only protects your health but also the victim’s as the victim has an equal chance of getting an infection.
* Lay person: If you are a lay person who happens to perform CPR on a stranger you may not have access to these safety equipment. Therefore, it is advisable that you buy a mask and carry it with you in case you are in a situation and have to perform emergency CPR.
* CPR on babies and infants: You must be extra careful when you perform CPR on babies and infants. If the baby is not breathing, perform gentle compressions using maximum three fingers. Perform around hundred chest compressions in one minute. Gently press down with your fingers in the center part of the baby’s chest below the nipple’s. When administering rescue breaths, cover the baby’s nose as well as mouth and breathe twice, each breath being one second long. This is different from an adult as you do not cover the adult’s mouth while performing rescue breaths. Repeat thirty chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths for as long as it takes for the child to start breathing, or until medical help arrives.
Therefore, you can see that both you and the victim are at risk of contracting infections of any kind from each other. Since the victim is usually unresponsive, it is your responsibility to take safety precautions while performing CPR.
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