I am an E.M.T. and a Basic Life Support instructor with the American Heart Association (A.H.A). Frequently, patients who may require CPR cannot sustain waiting for emergency medical assistance without someone performing CPR before our arrival; it could be the difference between life and death.
Every call I have been on with a bystander starting CPR has had a better chance for a positive outcome.
Getting CPR certified makes you a part of the life-saving team. When emergency services arrive, and you provide adequate CPR to someone who may need life-saving efforts, you become a part of the life-saving team.
Also, health emergencies cause much anxiety and uncertainty to loved ones. A skilled person is the only source of hope for the victim before emergency medical assistance arrives. CPR training offers skills to manage a healthy emergency and calm people around to prevent panic.
The A.H.A teaches 30 compressions – 2 breaths for adults, children, and infants if you have a mouth barrier device such as a CPR mask or a bag valve mask. Children and infants change to 15 compressions – 2 breaths with two rescuers, but adults, always 30 to 2.
Compress at least 2in on an adult patient at a rhythm of 100 to 120 beats per minute. For those with gray in their hair, sing Staying Alive by the Bee Gees. For millennials or parents with young children, you can sing Baby Shark.
The A.H.A. also teaches hands-only CPR, which means you are not pausing for breaths; you keep pressing the chest singing Baby Shark and including all the shark generations until someone relieves you. While compressing the chest, the heart compresses to push the blood into circulation. Release fully to fill the heart adequately. This process also moves air by compressing the lungs.
These are some of the basics; grab a local class for the rest of the details, such as CPR/AED, choking assistance adult, child, and infant, along with first aid.
I hope this helps inspire you to find a CPR class and get certified.
Contact the Timber Mesa Administrative Office at (928) 537-5100 or Pinetop Fire District at (928) 367-2199 to register for a class.
Eric DeSocio BLS Instructor