Gunshot injuries can happen in an instant, and when a victim’s heart or breathing stops, every second counts. But can you safely perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on someone with a gunshot wound? According to KARE 11 news, in August 2019, a woman in Maplewood, Minnesota, performed CPR on a young gunshot victim while waiting for emergency services, a real-life example of how immediate action can save lives. This highlights the importance of CPR training for laypeople, so even those without medical experience can respond effectively. In this article, we’ll explain when CPR is appropriate, how to control severe bleeding, and how to act safely until help arrives. Whether you’re a bystander, a first responder, or just want to be prepared, understanding these lifesaving steps can give you the confidence to act in a high-stakes situation.
How Gunshot Injuries Affect CPR
Before performing CPR or any first aid, it’s essential to understand the nature of gunshot wounds. Not all injuries are the same, and knowing the differences can help you respond more effectively.
1. Types of Gunshot Wounds
Gunshot wounds are generally classified into two main types:
- Penetrating wounds: The bullet enters the body but does not exit. These can damage internal organs along their path.
- Perforating wounds: The bullet passes all the way through the body, potentially causing more extensive internal and external damage.
2. Common Complications
Gunshot injuries often lead to serious complications, including:
- Severe bleeding: Rapid blood loss can be life-threatening within minutes.
- Organ damage: Bullets can injure vital organs, leading to internal bleeding or organ failure.
- Shock: A sudden drop in blood pressure and oxygen delivery to tissues can occur, complicating survival.
3. Immediate Threats to Life
When responding to a gunshot victim, it’s crucial to recognize the two biggest threats:
- Hemorrhage (severe bleeding): This is usually the most immediate danger and must often be addressed before CPR.
- Cardiac arrest: If the heart stops or the victim isn’t breathing, CPR becomes necessary, but only after controlling major bleeding and ensuring the scene is safe.
Understanding these basics helps you prioritize lifesaving actions and make quick decisions under pressure.
When and How to Perform CPR on Gunshot Victims
When someone suffers a gunshot wound, deciding whether to perform CPR isn’t always straightforward. Unlike other emergencies, such as a sudden cardiac arrest from a heart attack, gunshot injuries often involve severe bleeding or internal damage that can complicate resuscitation efforts.
1. When CPR is Appropriate
CPR should be performed only if the victim shows no signs of life, which means no pulse and no normal breathing. In these cases, chest compressions and rescue breaths can help maintain blood flow and oxygen delivery to vital organs until professional help arrives.
2. When CPR is Not the First Step
In many gunshot scenarios, severe external bleeding is the more immediate threat. Applying direct pressure or a tourniquet to control bleeding can be more urgent than starting CPR right away. Performing CPR on a victim who is still bleeding heavily may reduce its effectiveness and worsen blood loss.
3. Risks of Performing CPR
While CPR can save lives, in gunshot victims, it comes with some risks:
- It may worsen internal injuries.
- It cannot stop the ongoing hemorrhage.
- Improper timing could delay other critical interventions like bleeding control or airway management.
Understanding when and how to use CPR in gunshot cases ensures that your actions are both safe and effective, giving the victim the best possible chance of survival.
Critical First Steps Before Performing CPR
Before jumping into CPR on a gunshot victim, several crucial steps can make a real difference in survival. Acting in the right order helps protect both you and the victim.
1. Ensure Scene Safety
Your priority is your own safety. Make sure the area is secure from ongoing threats, such as an active shooter, broken glass, or traffic, before approaching the victim. You can’t help anyone if you become another casualty.
2. Call Emergency Services
Immediately dial 911 (or your local emergency number). Provide clear, concise information:
- The nature of the injury (gunshot wound).
- The number of victims.
- The location with landmarks or directions.
- Any life-threatening conditions observed.
- Professional responders will guide you through lifesaving steps over the phone.
3. Control Severe Bleeding
Severe bleeding is the most immediate threat in gunshot injuries. Take action right away:
- Apply direct pressure using a clean cloth or your hand if nothing else is available.
- Use a tourniquet if the bleeding is from a limb and won’t stop with direct pressure.
- Avoid delays: CPR should only start once life-threatening bleeding is addressed.
4. Positioning the Victim
If the victim is unconscious but breathing, place them on their back (supine position) to prepare for CPR if needed. Avoid moving them unnecessarily, especially if there could be spinal injuries.
By following these steps, you create a safer environment for both yourself and the victim, while preparing for CPR if it becomes necessary.
Step-by-Step CPR for Gunshot Victims
Once you’ve ensured scene safety and controlled severe bleeding, CPR may be necessary if the victim shows no signs of life. Here’s how to perform it safely and effectively.
Step 1: Check Responsiveness and Breathing
- Gently tap the victim’s shoulder and shout to see if they respond.
- Look for normal breathing. If the victim is unresponsive and not breathing or only gasping, CPR is needed.
Step 2: Chest Compressions
- Place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest (between the nipples), and your other hand on top.
- Compression depth: About 2 inches (5 cm).
- Rate: 100–120 compressions per minute.
- Allow the chest to fully recoil between compressions.
Step 4: Rescue Breaths (if trained)
- After 30 compressions, give 2 rescue breaths.
- Tilt the head back slightly, lift the chin, seal your mouth over theirs, and blow until the chest rises. Understanding the indication for mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths helps ensure you are providing ventilation safely and appropriately.
- Resume compressions immediately after the breaths.
Modifications or Cautions
- Do not delay CPR for minor bleeding.
- Severe hemorrhage must be managed first; CPR alone won’t stop life-threatening blood loss.
- Always continue CPR until EMS (Emergency Medical Services) arrives, the victim starts breathing, or you are too exhausted to continue.
By following these steps carefully, you give the victim the best chance of survival while minimizing additional harm.
Supporting Actions While Performing CPR
After starting CPR and controlling severe bleeding, there are additional steps you can take to improve the victim’s chances of survival while waiting for professional help.
1. Using an AED (Automated External Defibrillator)
- If an AED is available, turn it on immediately and follow the voice prompts.
- Attach the pads to the victim’s bare chest as indicated.
- Ensure no one is touching the victim during analysis or shocks
- Continue CPR as instructed by the AED until EMS arrives or the victim shows signs of life.
2. Managing Shock
Gunshot victims are at high risk of shock due to blood loss and trauma. Help manage shock by:
- Keeping the victim warm with a blanket or clothing.
- Elevating the legs slightly if there are no spinal injuries.
- Reassuring the victim if they are conscious, as calm communication can help reduce panic and stress.
3. Continuous Monitoring
- Keep checking for breathing, pulse, and responsiveness.
- Be prepared to resume CPR if the victim stops breathing or loses their pulse again.
- Do not leave the victim unattended until EMS personnel take over.
Taking these additional measures ensures that the victim remains as stable as possible and maximizes their chances of survival until emergency responders arrive.
Limitations of CPR in Gunshot Cases
While CPR can save lives, there are situations where it may not be successful in gunshot victims. Understanding these limitations can help you respond appropriately and safely.
1. Extensive Injuries Incompatible with Life
- Some gunshot wounds cause massive internal damage or severe trauma that CPR cannot overcome.
- In these cases, even immediate CPR may not be able to restart the heart or prevent death.
2. Delayed Response or Unsafe Environment
- If emergency help is significantly delayed, or the scene remains unsafe (e.g., active shooter, unstable surroundings), CPR may be less effective or impossible to perform safely.
- Prioritizing your safety and quickly summoning professional responders is crucial.
While CPR is a powerful tool, it works best when combined with prompt bleeding control, early EMS activation, and a safe environment. Recognizing these limits helps you act realistically and responsibly in high-stress situations.
Why CPR Matters for Gunshot Victims
Performing CPR on a gunshot victim can save a life in critical moments. Acting quickly helps keep their heart and breathing going until help arrives.
1. Increases Survival Chances
Performing CPR gives a gunshot victim a real chance to live. Every push and breath helps keep their heart and blood moving, giving their body the fight it needs to survive until professionals arrive. Your actions can literally make the difference between life and death.
2. Buys Time for Medical Assistance
CPR acts like a bridge between the injury and emergency care. It keeps vital blood flowing and maintains basic body functions while waiting for paramedics. By doing this, you give doctors and nurses more time to provide the treatment the victim urgently needs.
3. Reduces Risk of Brain Damage
The brain is very sensitive to a lack of oxygen. CPR helps keep oxygen moving to the brain, reducing the chance of long-term harm. This means the victim has a better shot at recovering fully and returning to a normal life.
4. Preserves Organs for Donation
By maintaining blood circulation, CPR can help keep organs healthy. In unfortunate situations where the victim does not survive, this preservation can allow life-saving organ donations, giving hope to others in need.
5. Provides a Sense of Agency and Emotional Support
Helping someone in a critical moment gives you a sense of control when everything feels chaotic. Your presence and actions can comfort the victim and provide reassurance that they are not alone, which is powerful in itself.
Also, Read: Importance of Lifesaving Trio: CPR, AED, and First Aid Training
Key CPR Takeaways for Gunshot Victims
- Safety first: Always ensure the scene is safe before approaching a gunshot victim
- Control severe bleeding: Life-threatening hemorrhage must often be managed before CPR.
- CPR is critical when necessary: Only perform CPR if the victim is unresponsive and not breathing.
- Use AEDs and monitor continuously: Automated defibrillators and ongoing observation can improve survival.
- Know the limits: Extensive injuries or unsafe conditions may make CPR ineffective, but acting promptly still maximizes the victim’s chances.
Act Quickly, Stay Safe, Save Lives With CPR
In summary, responding to a gunshot injury is a high-stress situation, but knowing the proper steps can save lives. By prioritizing scene safety, controlling bleeding, and performing CPR when appropriate, bystanders can make a critical difference before professional help arrives. Training in bleeding control and CPR empowers you to act confidently, stay safe, and provide the best possible care in life-threatening emergencies. Your knowledge and quick action can literally be the difference between life and death.
For those looking to strengthen their lifesaving skills, Same Day CPR offers comprehensive ACLS, BLS, PALS, CPR, and First Aid certification courses. These classes are available in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. To get started, you can call 888-840-5527, email info@samedaycpr.com , or visit our training center to learn more and enroll.
