TYLER, Texas (EAST TEXAS NEWS) – Summer months are approaching, and with them the number of accidents in pools and lakes rises. One way to help save others from drowning is to learn how to perform CPR, a skill that can buy vital minutes for an unconscious person.
“There’s an uptick in CPR use, especially when considering drownings in lakes and pools,” says Keshia Sheffield, a licensed nurse and owner of CPRwithJOY in Tyler.
CPR can also be used to protect against heart attacks, the leading cause of death worldwide according to the World Health Organization. When you add summer drownings to the mix, CPR becomes a highly valuable skill to learn.
“Every 90 seconds, someone suffers a cardiac arrest,” explains Sheffield. “It could be a family member, a coworker, someone you care about and someone you need to help.”
Getting CPR certification typically takes two to three hours, and there are several places in the East who offer classes to learn this lifesaving skill. However, according to Sheffield, the challenge is ensuring that as many people as possible receive CPR training.
“Many times, when I ask people in the community, ‘Do you know how to do CPR?’ they tell me no,” recalls Sheffield. “Everyone needs to know how to do CPR.”
When performing CPR on someone, there is a chance you may break their ribs in the process. However, the Texas Good Samaritan Law protects people from legal consequences for injuring someone while providing emergency aid in good faith.
“It’s common for a person to end up with broken ribs, but you have to push through because I’d say most people are grateful to stay alive,” asserts Sheffield. “I’ve had quite a few patients who complain of rib pain from CPR, but they’re grateful to be here, so you keep going.”
If you want to learn CPR, there are several organizations offering courses, including the American Red Cross and various local companies.
