“My wife is a certified nurse and she needs to be recertified. She has done this a hundred times and she said Lisa was the best instructor she's ever had.” - Dennis Harabin, Relax Tax

Lisa Orazietti is a Certified American Heart Association Instructor. In this Relax Teams post, Lisa Orazietti shares what she does. Learn how to perform Hands-Only CPR, Heimlich Maneuver, and how to save your own life during an emergency.

Lisa’s goal is for everyone to be able to save a life whenever someone collapses right in front of them. If a child collapses on the field or your co-worker at the bank is on the ground, what would you do? Watch the video above as Lisa shows how to save a life step by step.

How do we know that the victim needs help? 

You will know someone needs help because he/she is unresponsive. Ask the person a couple of times, “are you okay?”. Not getting a response from the person is a bad sign. Next, lightly put your hand on the person’s chest and feel if he/she is breathing, and then check the pulse as well. 

What is Hands-Only CPR and How To Perform It? 

When a person collapses whether at work, at the park, or even during zoom meetings, point to someone and tell them to call 911. On this day, human nature is going to hold their cellphones and start taking pictures. That’s why you need to tell them exactly what to do, which is to call 911 with intent. 

Our hearts pump blood and oxygen through the body. The steps below should be performed until the person becomes responsive (moving arms, eyes fluttering), or until help comes.

1. Find a solid surface. 
2. Put the person on his/her back.
3. Look for the nipple line while trying to take off as many clothes as possible.
4. Get into position and use your hip and shoulders.
5. Put the palm of your hands right in the nipple line in between the chest.
6. Go down at least two inches in an adult and only up to two inches in a child. 
7. Push down the chest to keep the heart pumping. Push hard at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions a minute.

What if you feel a pulse but they're not responsive?

You should not do CPR. However, if you think you feel a pulse but they're not breathing, the pulse is probably going to go away. As Lisa mentioned, the only bad CPR is no CPR.

How to perform the Heimlich Maneuver?

A person who is choking is not breathing but responsive. What you need to do is perform the Heimlich Maneuver. It is an abdominal thrust invented by Dr. Heimlich and is the easiest way to get an object out.

1. Make a fist.
2. Wrap your arms and bring them above the choking person’s belly button.
3. Forward your body slightly. 
4. Perform abdominal thrusts upward and inward. 

What to do if you are alone and choking? 

You need to know how to call 911 without facial or fingerprint recognition in emergency situations. For iPhone users, pressing the on/off button on the right-hand side of your phone will automatically dial 911 for help. ***After watching the video above, make sure to figure out how your cell phone works during an emergency. In addition, make sure that in case of emergency, rescue vehicles can see your house number easily and clearly. 

What if a small person needs help and you are afraid of hurting them?

Number one thing about CPR, we should be afraid if someone has no pulse and is not breathing. There is nothing we can do to hurt them. The second thing is even if the person is your old grandmother or your 4-year-old nephew, you should do the same steps but only go up to 2 inches instead of down two inches. 

“Again, the only bad CPR is no CPR. I am not gonna have anybody sit around and watch someone else have the life taken out of them. Pumping their heart sustains their life.” - Lisa Orazietti

If you have a business, and you need a certification for CPR, AED, and choking, Lisa is the person to call.