Why YSK: TV has lied to you. If a cardiac arrest happens and you have an AED defibrillator at hand you might still need to do chest compressions.

  1. When you open up the AED there will be instructions on how to apply the electrodes as well as any other procedure needed to get started.
  2. The machine will first analyze the heart’s rhythm to find out if a shock can restore the heart.
  3. If the machine doesn’t find anything it will instruct you to perform CPR. After a while it will then instruct you to stand by as it does another analysis.
  4. It will once again either deliver a shock or instruct you to go back to CPR. Do this routine indefinitely until medical services has arrived. You will be tired. Switch out with another person if there are other people who can help.
  5. Some AED’s are automatic and will warn you to stand back and deliver a shock. Others will need you to press a button to deliver the shock yourself. Make sure not to touch the person as the machine delivers the shock.
  • Sentiel@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    2 years ago

    One thing to add, that haven’t been thought to me in the CPR course.

    It’s fucking exhausting and you will get tired very soon. The training dummy doesn’t require nowhere near as much force as a real person. To give you an example, it’s quite common to crack or break a rib of the CPR recipient even if CPR is done right. That’s how much force you have to use. Without the required force, your pushes won’t reach the heart.

    Make sure there is someone else who knows how to do CPR or at least is looking how you’re doing it and can repeat that or follow your commands once you switch.

    I’ve only had to give someone CPR once and I haven’t been as tired in my whole life. No way the “I’ve been giving him CPR for 30 minutes…” You see on a TV screen is real. I felt like I’ll need CPR myself after 3 minutes.