How the Red Cross Teaches CPR

Types of Programs

The American Red Cross is a private, non-profit organization with a primary mission of training people to respond to emergencies. The agency offers a variety of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training programs including: basic CPR; CPR and first aid; CPR Automated External Defibrillator (AED); and child and infant CPR. These courses use specially designed CPR dummies. As each student practices techniques on the dummy, the instructor specifies various scenarios to test the student's understanding of the CPR procedure.

Cardiac Chain of Survival

All of the Red Cross CPR courses are based on a concept called the Cardiac Chain of Survival, which refers to a sequence of steps that should be performed if someone experiences cardiac arrest. The chain begins with the recognition of a medical emergency. CPR students are advised to shake the victim and ask if he is all right. If there is no response, a call is put through to emergency services while CPR begins. This will keep the oxygenated blood flowing to the brain. If an AED is available, using it is the third step in the Cardiac Chain of Survival. The arrival of the emergency medical team is the final step in the process.

Check-Call-Care

The Check-Call-Care sequence is another CPR teaching method used by the Red Cross. The responder must first evaluate the victim's surroundings to determine whether it is safe to administer CPR. For example, if the victim collapses in the middle of a heavily-trafficked area, the responder might need to designate someone to divert the traffic. When it is established that it is safe to care for the victim, the responder will be taught to check for signs of breathing.

Opening the Airway

If the victim is not lying on her back, responders are advised to roll her over by moving the entire body in one motion. The Red Cross uses CPR dummies to teach the students how to open the victim's airways. Responders are advised to gently lift the chin with one hand. Use the opposite hand to push down on the forehead to tilt the neck. Then, listen for breathing. If none is present, rescue breaths should begin.

Performing Rescue Breaths

Red Cross CPR students are taught to kneel by the dummy, pinch the nose and cover the dummy's mouth with his own. Perform two rescue breaths, and then check to see if the victim has a pulse. Each breath should be 1-second in duration. If the breathing is performed correctly, the dummy's chest will rise. The student is told to check the victim's pulse.

Chest Compressions

If the instructor tells the student that no pulse is present, the responder must begin chest compressions. The heel of the hand is placed midway between the dummy's nipples, and the opposite hand is placed on top of that hand. The arms remain straight as the compressions are performed. Two breaths are performed after every 30 compressions. Red Cross CPR dummies have a light that indicates whether the compressions are performed correctly.

Certification

Red Cross CPR certification is valid for 1-year.