6 Common Beginner CPR Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Did you know that sudden cardiac arrests cause more deaths each year than strokes? And most of these cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital?

Knowing how to perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) can make the difference between life and death for someone. That’s why knowing the correct CPR technique is extremely important. Look to CPR Certification Cleveland, if you are in that area!

If you’re interested in learning some CPR technique tips for proper practice, keep reading for common beginner CPR mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Failing to Recognize a Cardiac Arrest Situation

When someone is having a cardiac arrest, they will lose consciousness, become unresponsive, and stop breathing. To avoid false assumptions, it is important to always ask questions and assess the situation before starting chest compressions. The rescuers should be sure to know how to identify the signs of cardiac arrests, such as no pulse, before jumping into performing CPR.

2. Pausing During Compressions

The American Heart Association recommends maintaining a CPR compression rate of 100-120 per minute without pausing. Pause too long between chest compressions can result in a lower cardiac output. To avoid this mistake, rescuers can use verbal prompting like counting out loud.

3. Incorrect Compression Depth

Too shallow compression can injure the patient, but too deep runs the risk of ribs breaking or puncturing the lungs. To avoid this, compression depth should be two to two and a half inches in depth. It is also important to double-check the depth throughout each cycle and practice regularly to ensure you are delivering at a consistent depth and rate.

4. Inadequate Ventilation

Without a sufficient amount of air entering the lungs of the person undergoing CPR, resuscitation efforts may not be successful. To avoid this, the rescuers need to ensure that their breaths with sufficient volume are delivered at a rate between 12 and 15 breaths per minute.

The rescuers need to open the victim’s airway by tilting their head and lifting their chin before giving a rescue breath. It’s important to monitor the patient’s chest rise and fall to get a good feel for how correctly they are providing ventilation.

5. Improper Hand Placement

This occurs when the hands are not pressed together firmly nor placed directly over the breastbone. To avoid this mistake, use the CPR hand placement by placing the heel of one hand directly over the center of the breastbone, and placing the other hand directly on top. Make sure the two hands are pressed together firmly.

6. Demotivation to Perform

This can be seen in the lack of understanding of the process, the length of time it can take, and the fear of making a mistake and causing harm to the victim. To avoid this, it’s important to familiarize oneself with the correct process and move quickly to begin resuscitation efforts.

Take the time to practice and get comfortable with CPR methods, set a goal of performing at least one repetition of compressions and one breath a minute, and ensure that you are connecting with the patient. Taking the time to know these preventive measures are necessary lifesaving moment. A lot of group discounts for CPR training are available now.

It’s Best That You Know in Case of Emergency

It’s important to understand how to perform CPR properly. Avoid common beginner CPR mistakes by staying up to date on current CPR guidelines.

If it has been a while since your last course, consider taking a refresher to ensure you fully understand the correct CPR measures. Sign up today to review your CPR knowledge and be prepared for any emergency.

Check out our other blog posts for more helpful topics.