Final answer:
CPR should be performed on a person in cardiac arrest and not on individuals who are conscious, choking, breathing with difficulty, or responding to painful stimuli. Proper training in CPR is critical, and it should be administered effectively and with care to prevent injuries to the victim.
Step-by-step explanation:
When to Perform CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be administered to a victim who is in cardiac arrest, meaning the heart has stopped pumping blood effectively and the person is unresponsive. CPR should not be administered to someone who is conscious and choking, experiencing difficulty breathing, or who responds to painful stimuli. In cases of choking, different measures should be taken to clear the airway. When CPR is performed improperly, it can lead to severe injuries such as broken ribs, a broken sternum, or damage to internal organs. It is crucial for rescuers to have proper training and certification in CPR techniques.
The key steps in performing CPR include delivering chest compressions at least 5 cm deep at a rate of 100 compressions per minute. This action helps to manually compress the blood within the heart, pushing it into the pulmonary and systemic circuits. The use of this emergency procedure aims to maintain blood flow, particularly to the brain to prevent irreversible damage, until professional medical help arrives or the heart restarts.
It is also important to emphasize that CPR is not effective if the patient is still in water, such as in a drowning situation. The first priority is to remove the person from the water to a stable ground before commencing CPR.