The hospital ran a CPR practice session today, and I tagged along. It was the first time I had learned cardiopulmonary resuscitation in any systematic way. Sometimes a person only needs those few critical actions from someone nearby to make it through. If I ever end up in that situation, I don’t want to freeze and not know what to do.
What follows is my hurried recap from memory, so if any detail is off, it deserves correction. But the overall process left a strong impression on me.
The basic CPR sequence I learned
Before doing anything, you need to assess whether the scene is safe. Only then do you check the patient’s responsiveness.
Start by gently patting both shoulders with your hands and calling out to see whether the person responds. If there is no reaction, treat it as unresponsiveness.
Next, check breathing. Watch the chest for movement and observe for about 5 to 10 seconds. If there is no breathing, call it out clearly and get help immediately.
At that point, shout for assistance and call emergency services at 120.
After that, check for a carotid pulse. The method taught was to use the index and middle fingers of the right hand, start from the center of the trachea at the level of the cricoid cartilage, and slide outward to the side of the neck where the carotid pulse can be felt.
One detail mentioned in the drill was loosening the patient’s belt.
Chest compressions come first
For chest compressions, place your hands at the midpoint between the two nipples. One palm stays in contact with the chest, the other hand overlaps it, and the thumb is lifted clear. Keep both arms straight and use the weight of your upper body to press down hard.
The drill called for 30 compressions at a rate of at least 100 per minute.
Then open the airway and provide rescue breaths.
Ventilation and bag-mask use
After opening the airway, artificial ventilation is performed.
If a simple resuscitation bag is available, one hand uses the C-E technique to hold the mask in place, while the other hand squeezes the bag. Each breath should deliver about 400 to 600 milliliters of air, at a frequency of 10 to 12 breaths per minute.
Keep CPR going efficiently
The training emphasized maintaining high-quality CPR continuously for two minutes. Chest compressions and rescue breaths are carried out at a ratio of 30:2, for a total of 5 cycles.
After those cycles, reassess whether the resuscitation is working. Listen for breathing sounds while also checking again for a carotid pulse.
If signs of recovery appear, the next step is to position the patient properly and prepare for further life support.
This was just one training session, but it made the importance of CPR feel very real. It’s the kind of skill that can matter in a few desperate minutes, and that alone makes it worth learning seriously.