FACT SHEET
What is CPR and Why do you use it?
Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a technique for rhythmically compressing the heart in order to keep it pumping blood around the body (that’s the ‘Cardio’ part), while at the same time giving rescue breaths (the ‘Pulmonary’ part). It is not heart ‘massage’, a term sometimes used, since the intention is to squeeze the heart, not rub it, and you can forget about the kind of dramatic thumping of the heart that you may have seen in some television shows.
You should learn CPR at a course, where you will be able to practice the technique on a special manikin under the guidance of an accredited first aid instructor.
The circulatory system is vital to all humans. It acts as the transport system of the body. Its vital role is to carry oxygen, and nutrients to all parts of the body and at the same time to remove waste products. The driving force for this transport system is the heart. The muscular pump approximately the size of a clenched fist in the center of the chest.
If there are problems with the heart or it is not beating, life-giving oxygen will not be reaching the brain and death will occur unless you can get some circulation established within a matter of minutes, hence, the need of CPR.
To gain these life-saving skills, people can undertake a St. John Senior First Aid Course. This comprehensive, 14-hour and 2-hour assessment course which covers all the fundamentals of first aid including cardiopulmonary resuscitation, burns, bleeding, head, neck and spinal injuries, bites and stings and poisons. St John also provides a 4 hour course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
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