is it a bad idea for people who havent had official first aid training to try CPR on a person?

Answer 1

"Is it a bad idea for people who havent had official first aid training to try CPR on a person?" A bad idea? Only if they are still alive. Otherwise, if no one else is around and they have stopped showing signs of life such as breathing or movement of their extremities (arms &/or legs), YOU ARE THEIR SOLE CHANCE FOR SURVIVAL!

If you have access to a phone (And who DOESN'T have a cell phone these days?), call the appropriate local number for emergency medical services. In my area, it's 911 for Police, Fire, & Ambulance assistance but not all areas have a "One call does it all" central number. The person answering that line should be trained to talk you through providing emergency care up to whatever level you feel comfortable, until help arrives. Some states even have laws that require you to assist if you are able. However, you will never be required to do anything that will put you at risk, such as mouth-to-mouth if a barrier device (a mask or other shield with a one-way valve to allow Rescue Breathing while protecting the rescuer.) isn't available or touch anyone or anything that will expose you to another's bodily fluids like saliva or blood.

I don't want to offend anyone who has attempted to help you here by providing an answer, but most of them seem to be opinions to me. Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) has been shown to be effective even when performed by untrained individuals and there are even documented cases of children successfully performing CPR on adults after watching it done previously on television. Obviously, this is not perfect resuscitation but something is ALWAYS better than nothing. Also, as one previous poster answered, broken ribs are common even when perfect CPR is performed.

There is no guarantee that you won't be sued. Anyone can file a suit against anyone else. The court system is swamped with frivolous law suits but that doesn't mean that you will lose. In the states that have "Good Samaritan" laws, they are your protection against liability when trying to help within what any other reasonable person would have done in a similar situation. In states that don't, again, acting in what the courts deem to be a manner consistent with any other reasonable person in a similar situation should keep you safe from liability. And, to correct a previous answer, having CPR certification might actually INCREASE your liability in case of a mistake since you should 'know better' as a trained provider and can't just claim the ignorance of a lay person trying to 'do the right thing'. Please don't interpret that as me trying to convince you not to take a CPR course.

CPR, even when it's not true CPR but just chest compressions, has been proven to be effective in prolonging the amount of time someone can be in cardiac arrest and be successfully resuscitated. When someone is in cardiac arrest, all the Oxygen in their entire circulatory system doesn't just magically disappear, it's just sitting there waiting to be used. While ventilating someone will provide additional Oxygen that can be picked up by the blood, proper compressions will still circulate the residually Oxygenated blood enough so that the brain & heart are getting Oxygen from whatever blood that passes and waste will be transported away, such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2). Any blood that reaches the lungs will release CO2 and pick up Oxygen.

Quality ventilations will further improve their chances of a successful resuscitation by moving CO2 rich air out of the lungs and replacing it with fresh air, which contains on average 21% Oxygen (actually 20.8%). When we breathe normally, we take in about 5% of this Oxygen and exhale about 16%. If we stop breathing, moving air in and out, that extra 16% is still there waiting in the lungs and can be picked up as blood is circulated with just compressions.

The most recent changes to the American Heart Association (AHA) CPR guidelines were to add more compressions per ventilation, that is, circulating the blood is more effective when the pump (the heart) is primed by successive compressions. The ratio is now 30 compressions to 2 ventilations for all age groups for one rescuer CPR (except newborns). It can take from 5 to 9 compressions to begin to maximize your efficiency at circulating blood manually. Those initial compressions are less effective as the heart is filled because of circulation and it takes your compressing the heart between the sternum (breastbone) and the spine to get the blood moving so that it pushes the blood along the circulatory system back to the heart whether it be from the body or the lungs. Any CPR, even poorly performed CPR that only moves a little blood is still circulating blood and prolonging the detrimental effects of oxygen depletion until trained help can arrive.

The AHA has actually developed a learn-at-home 22 minute CPR program called CPR Anytime. No instructors to make sure your CPR is perfect; just you, and maybe some family members or friends, a DVD, an inflatable manikin, and a booklet. While you don't receive a completion card like you would from attending a typical classroom CPR course, you do get the fundamentals of performing CPR that just might be used by you one day to help save a life, even if it's not perfect CPR.

Answer 2

Doing something is better than nothing!!, no it isn't a bad idea if your the only one there, although cpr of children is different as you can burst their lungs very easy, with the new cpr protocols it is alot easier, if the patient has been sick u don't have to do respirations as the compressions draw oxygen in anyway. here's the new cpr protocol:

phone for an ambulance
Give 30 chest compressions
Place heel of your hand in the centre of the chest.
Place other hand on top and interlock fingers.
Keeping your arms straight and your fingers off the chest, press down by 4-5cms. then release the pressure, keeping your hands in place.
Repeat the compressions 30 times, at a rate of 100 per minute.
Give 2 rescue breaths.

Ensure the airway is open.
Pinch nose firmly closed.
Take a deep breath and seal your lips around the casualty’s mouth.
Blow into the mouth until the chest rises.
Remove your mouth and allow the chest to fall.
Repeat once more.
Continue resuscitation, 30 compressions to 2 Rescue Breaths.


K xx

Answer 3

hi, as a fully qualified first aider, i know many things about first aid and the one thing i was taught before my training was not to attempt CPR until i became fully aware of the procedure. Like many things in first aid, commencing CPR on a person when untrained can cause complications, for example you could break a persons rib which can become highly dangerous and not to mention should that happen you also could face criminal charges should that person or their next of kin decide to do so, however, having studied a bit about criminal law i do know that to help your defense the best thing to do is admit you have had no training but at the same time had no choice but to do what you did, however i do believe any decent person would commence CPR if they thought it was going to save a life whether they had the training or not and not care about the consequences should anything go wrong however also be advised that if you do find yourself in that situation and another person comes along a first aider per say then you should give them room and let them take charge of the situation until emergency medical help arrives and if you still wish to help then clear the area and/or if the casualty has a friend or relative with them keep them calm by reassuring them help is on the way and they are in good hands.
My overall view, no, it is not a good idea to commence CPR if you are not trained to do so unless otherwise forced, CPR is different for a baby, child and adult, for a baby you use two fingers either on the chest or upper arm, for a child over six years old you use one hand and for an adult you use two hands, so you see being untrained is highly dangerous especially if you come across a non breathing baby or child.
Hope this answers your question.
Take care

Answer 4

There is a problem with what people have been saying about trying to do CPR is better than nothing. If the person did not actually need CPR, and you tried it, you could kill them. In most places in the U.S., and other parts of the world, if you call for an ambulance, the dispatchers will be able to talk you through CPR. It is still best to take a class though.

Answer 5

NONONONONO!!

Some emergency dispatchers will even tell you how to give CPR if you don't know how.

Lets set up a scenario here. You're the only one around. You put your cell phone on speaker and call 911. You aren't certified in CPR but have a first aid kit with a CPR mask and gloves in it. Would you just stand there and wait for a paramedic ambulance to arrive?

They're going to die if they don't get immediate treatment. It's worth a try if none at all.

Also, normal CPR will break ribs and cause bone breaks and injury. Risks of lawsuits are also present depending on where you're from. You may also not be protected under the good samaritan law because you are not certified in giving CPR.

Answer 6

Trying something is always better then nothing. The most ideal person to aid an individual in distress is a doctor. If a doctor is not around some other health professional. If a health professional is not around a person trained in first aid. If a person trained in first aid is not around, someone who tries their best will have to work. I'd rather someone not trained in CPR try something then to let a person go without any help. You (as an untrained rescuer), might be the only chance an individual has to survive. Could you live with yourself if you didn't try?

*Chrisma, most states have "Good Samaritian Laws" that prevent the rescuer from being sued.

Answer 7

Yes, and you leave yourself open to be sued if you try it without any formal training, ridiculous I know as if you do nothing then obviously they have no chance. I would just try and shout the alarm for someone who can, or call emergency services who will talk you through it step by step.
In the unlikely event neither of these options are available, and you find yourself in the company of a non breathing human, then it's up to you what you do, but I am sure that no one would just stand there and say later, 'well I didn't wanna get sued so I just let them die'!
If you are worried about this, you can do a quick half day course at St Johns ambulance, as CPR on children is different to that needed for adults.

Answer 8

Well...

People are saying you could kill a person doing it wrong- BUT the person is already pretty much dead, and waiting the average 8 minutes for 911 response pretty much means the victim will indeed die.

People say it requires training- BUT people's lives have been saved by rescuers doing what they have seen on TV.

People are talking about law suits- BUT the Good Samaritan Laws most states have protects volunteer rescuers who act like a 'reasonable and prudent person' would.

Sure- a trained responder is better than one who is untrained, but if it were you on the ground... with 911 8 minutes away... with your chances of survival slipping away at the rate of 10% a minute... what would you say then?

Answer 9

Hi there

It's not very wise to carry out CPR without any formal training. I do agree that if there is nothing anyone else can do and its a last resort then yes. But the repercussions it can have are quite damaging. Unfortunately we live in name and shame society theses days and by performing such an act and you accidentally kill someone or save their life but cause long term damage then you will be liable in court. On the other hand if you have training and someone dies but you followed the correct procedure then there's no court in the land that would convict you. So it really comes down to legal and moral implications.

My advise would be if you found yourself in this position get help first and get the ambulance on the way.

Best wishes

idai

Answer 10

Yes it is. Especially if they do it ona child. There are different techniques for the differences in anatomy. CPR is just about free with the Red Cross. Give them a call. Better yet, take a basic EMT course at the local college. Even if your not wanting to be a paramedic, it's good to simply learn something about the human body that you never knew. You will think differently from that point on.