In CPR don't worry about breaking person's ribs - 'it's better than being dead
· When someone collapses and is unresponsive and not breathing, it means their heart has stopped due to a cardiac arrest.
· You can easily save a life, or keep a person alive until doctor arrives.
· When someone collapses, first dial 100 or 102
· Begin Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR.
· Do not bother with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
· CPR involves pressing hard and fast in the centre of the chest with the heel of your hand.
· Use your two hands at the end of your arms, that's it.
· Do not worry about breaking someone's ribs. The law states you cannot be sued for breaking ribs while doing CPR and it's better for the person to be alive with broken ribs than dead.
· The rule is do it hard and fast at 100 beats a minute and don't worry if you break ribs
· You need to act very fast and keep the pressure up, giving constant chest compressions 5-6cm deep (2 inches), just between the nipples, at the rate of 100 to 120 a minute.
· Every minute that goes by without anyone doing anything reduces the odds of survival by ten per cent.
· At ten minutes, if no-one's done anything, the person is dead.
· At about four minutes, irreversible brain damage starts setting in.
· CPR will keep someone alive but restarting a heart may require a defibrilator.
· CPR helps a patient hang on until a doctor arrive because it pushes blood up from the person's heart into their brain.
· Once you've recognised someone's heart has stopped, one thing is certain that you can't do any harm,