Crucial CPR

09 Feb Crucial CPR

Most people know what CPR is, but are you ready to perform CPR in an emergency?

Understandably, needing to perform CPR in an emergency can be very daunting. But CPR is neither difficult to learn nor perform. Many who have been in that situation will tell you that all the training just clicks in.

But there’s something else – doing something is a lot better than doing nothing.

In an interview, Royal Life Saving Society – NSW CEO, David Macallister, talked about the importance of learning CPR. He mentions a study conducted by the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, in Sydney, Australia that looked at eight child drowning cases.

In four cases, CPR had been attempted by the rescuers as soon as possible. In the other cases, the rescuers chose to wait for emergency services to arrive. The four children who received CPR in the first instance survived. The four who did not receive CPR died.

While far from cut-and-dried, the study does lend credence to the importance of CPR and the need for trained responders.

Royal Life Saving uses the catchcry ‘Everyone can be a lifesaver’, and the above point lies at the core of that slogan. Put simply, the more people out in the community with first aid training—including CPR—the greater the chance that there will be trained and effective responders to assist in an emergency.

In recent times we’ve highlighted the importance of such skills with video clips and articles about the Royal Life Saving NSW Commendation Award recipients.

These award recipients are members of the community who were going about their daily business when they suddenly and dramatically found themselves in an emergency situation. In many cases, CPR was required.

Sydney’s Kim Ballingal was simply driving to work when he suddenly found himself crouched by the side of the road administering CPR to a fellow driver who had collapsed at the wheel.

For Dale and Chloe Holmes, a frantic knock at the door late one evening saw them rushing next door to revive their neighbour amidst a terrified family.

The point is that anyone, at any time may need to be a lifesaver.