ah, ha, ha ,ha, stay alive

I've just begun my internship as a student nurse in St. Micheal's hospital last week. But before us students could go on the wards, we had to revise our CPR technique.

I soon learned that in America, they consider The Bee Gees' classic 'Stayin' Alive', the best song to follow while giving compressions to a person receiving CPR. Can you imagine? Someone gets a heart attack, the whole mood tense and panicked. I give my two breathes of mouth to mouth and then all of a sudden I look up to see the person giving compressions, bouncing his head from side to side with the beat of 'Stayin' Alive' ringing in his mind! Made me laugh.


So just in case your ever in Wax and the music gets to much for somebody and they drop to the ground. Block out the 'Din Din', think The Bee Gees and also do the following:

-Run to your victim, ask him if he's okay. If there's no response get someone to call the ambulance.

-Remember A-B-C

-Check A- which is the airway. There may be some form of obstruction, stopping the person from breathing. Look and listen for any signs of breathing, if your not getting anything, put one hand on their forehead and your under their chin. gently tilt their head backwards. By doing this you are now opening the airway. If they're still not breathing....you'll have to aid them further.

-By assisting their B-this is their breathing. you must keep your hand on their chin, with the other hand pinch their nose. Then give two breathes. Watch his lungs rise as you do this. I f there is still no response, go to step C.

-Step C is circulation. For you to know is there any circulation we want to check for a pulse. Put your finger between their windpipe and neck muscles, slightly add pressure. If you feel no beat, the heart is not beating. Now you have to give compressions (think the Bee Gees).

-Put your two hands, one on top of the other, on the sternum, this is where the lower ribs meet. interlace your fingers, lock you elbows and use your body weight for compression. Depth of compressions should be about 1.5 to 2 inches. Count aloud while you give 30 compressions. At the end of each cycle give two breathes, after 4 cycles check for any sign of consciousness. Continue if there is still no response.
You should be giving about 100 compressions per minute, 'Stayin' Alive' has nearly the same amount of beats, it has 103 beats per minute!

-Continue until aid comes you way.