Becoming CPR-certified can save someone’s life
Need a reason to learn how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation?

How about the possibility it could save someone’s life? And it’s cost-effective to gain the necessary skills.

Hope Harper, a CPR-certified maternal child educator at Forrest General Hospital, said that CPR not only can but likely will come in handy.

“CPR can be a life-saving procedure,” Harper said. “We definitely want people to know this so that we can help those people in the community before 911 and other emergency services can get there.

“So, we want to provide help and provide care as soon as possible.”

CPR follows seven basic rules, including :

• Check the scene to ensure it is safe for both you and the person who needs CPR
• Check to see if they are unresponsive, are not showing signs of breathing or do not have a pulse
• Have someone else on the scene call 911 and get equipment, such as an automated defibrillator (AED), if there is one
• Place the person on a flat surface and lie the person on their back
• Begin chest compressions
• Give them two breaths if public safety gear is available. If not, continue with compression.
• Continue giving compressions in sets of 30. Use an AED as soon as possible.

Harper said positioning was very important for the person delivering the CPR, including:

• Body position: Shoulders directly over your hands, make sure your elbows are locked
• Hand position: Both your hands on the center of their chest
• Depth: Make sure compressions are at least 2 inches deep
• Rate: 100-120 compressions per minute
• Allow the person’s chest to return to a normal position after each compression.

If an AED is available, be sure to use it to jumpstart the heart.

To become CPR certified, you don’t have to spend a lot of money or use a lot of your time.

To register for a class, visit https://www.redcross.org/local/mississippi/take-a-class