In my 25+ years in emergency medicine, the biggest barrier to bystander CPR is the fear of doing it wrong. My answer to that fear is always the same: compression-only CPR works. You do not need to give rescue breaths to save a life. Push hard and fast in the centre of the chest, 100 to 120 times a minute, and do not stop until the ambulance arrives. That action alone keeps blood moving to the brain. It is always better than waiting.
Written by Dr. Nilu Sunil, MBBS, DEM, FEM, FACEE, FRCEM (A), PGDHHM, PGDMLS, EMDM, MBA, Head of Emergency Medicine, SPARSH Hospital, Hennur Road, Bengaluru. 25+ years, 10,000+ emergency cases managed. CPR trainer: 30,000+ people trained. Phone: +91 9000888624.
