Save a Life with Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on the Central Coast

You don’t have to be a doctor to help save a life with cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the Central Coast of California. Referred to as CPR, this simple action helps circulates vital blood to a person in cardiac arrest. 

Dignity Health Central Coast doctors recommend that everyone take CPR classes to be prepared in an emergency situation. For information about CPR training and certification in your community, Find a Doctor today.

 

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training at Dignity Health Central Coast

You never know when your CPR training may help save a person’s life. Dignity Health Central Coast provides community education on a variety of health topics, including CPR.

For hands-only teen and adult CPR, follow these steps: 

  • Talk loudly to the person and rub their breastbone to see if they respond
  • Check for breathing and a pulse
  • If no pulse is detected, call 911 or ask someone else to call and try to find an automated external defibrillator device (AED)
  • Start CPR by placing one of your hands on top of the other and intertwine your fingers
  • Put your hands on top of the person’s breastbone in the center of the chest and lock your elbows
  • Press down very hard so that the chest lowers at least one inch each compression
  • Push fast and hard at least 100 times a minute, and do not stop
  • Continue to push down on the chest until an ambulance or other emergency responders arrive

 

Administering Child & Infant CPR

The cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedure for infants varies from adult CPR because of their size and fragility.

For infants younger than one year, the CPR steps are:

  • Place the unresponsive baby onto her back and open her airway by tilting her head
  • Put two of your fingers on the baby’s breastbone and push hard and fast
  • Call 911 after two minutes if the baby does not respond
  • Give two rescue breaths if the baby is not breathing
  • Continue compressions until emergency responders relieve you

For children, you can follow the same steps as adult CPR, but only use one hand so you do not harm the child. If you cannot adequately compress the child’s chest with one of your hands, you can use both hands.

Contact Dignity Health Central Coast to learn more about our community education classes.

Dignity Health’s award-winning heart doctors encourage life-saving procedures, including CPR, on the Central Coast of California.