Monthly Archives: September 2015

CPR Certification: Things to Know

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training is the most basic of all medical training classes. CPR is a life-saving procedure which is used in an emergency situation when a person is unresponsive or not breathing. Since emergencies and accidents strike anytime, anywhere, people take up CPR certification courses to save lives. Before you take up a CPR class, here are a few things you need to know about CPR certification:

Who requires a CPR certification?
Hospitals, workplaces, schools, and certain organizations need their employees to be certified in CPR as they may be required to perform CPR during the tenure of their duty. The list includes doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians, teachers, child care professionals, fire safety personnel, and health workers. Besides this, general public should also attend CPR training classes so that they can help someone in case of emergency.

Which CPR class is right for you?
If you’re planning to get certified in CPR, you should choose the right CPR class that meets your basic and employment needs. For example, AHA Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers is an advanced CPR class, which is suitable for anyone involved in the healthcare industry, while Heart Saver CPR and AED training is geared towards people in non-healthcare industry.

CPR Certification & CPR Classes

Where to get CPR certified?
Various hospitals, organizations, and fire safety department provide CPR certification course. You can contact your local CPR training provider which offers traditional classroom CPR classes and blended courses. CPR certification is valid for two years, after which you need a simple re-certification.

Whatever your reasons for taking up CPR certification, it is a good idea to help victims when they need it the most.

Get trained in Pet First Aid Courses

What would you do if your dog experiences sudden cardiac arrest? What would you do if your cat has ingested something poisonous? Unfortunately, people, who are not trained in pet first aid courses, don’t have answers to these questions, but accidents can happen at any time. Having knowledge of how to provide first aid to pet animals when emergency arises can help you save a life.

Who needs pet first aid training?
Pet first aid courses provide the knowledge and skills required to respond efficiently and quickly in case of emergency. Pet owners, pet caretakers, and pet professionals such as dog walker, pet sitter, and pet groomer should attend pet first aid training classes.
Which pet first aid course is right for you?
A basic first aid/CPR class is good for pet owners, but professionals need to take up more advanced courses. There are specific first aid classes for pets such as dogs and cats & for specific conditions such as choking, trauma, poisoning, heart stroke, etc. Pet first aid course length varies from 2-4 hours and certifications are valid for 2 years.

Get trained in Pet First Aid Courses

How to get pet first aid certification?
Animal veterinary hospitals and animal safety organizations provide first aid training to professionals. You can find a local pet first aid training provider to get certified in Pet first aid/CPR.

Confidence and skills come only with training. Being prepared can help you increase a pet’s survival chance and buy some time until emergency veterinary care professionals arrive at the site.

Infant CPR and first aid certification – Infographic

Seeing their own child in an emergency situation is a worst nightmare for parents. However, learning first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedure can help parents act immediately and confidently in various emergencies.

First aid & CPR training for infants and young children is different than it is for adults. In a pediatric first aid/CPR course, participants learn how to recognize and respond to emergencies such as cardiac arrest and seizures; assess illnesses and respiratory problems; and treat wounds and burns in infants and young children. The best way to learn how to administer CPR or provide first aid to infants is to take a class that is approved by EMS authority or exempted. One can ask the local training provider to verify if the training program is certified and the program instructor is approved. Attending infant CPR/first aid courses is very important for parents & child care professionals because they can become a lifesaver for a child during a life-threatening situation. There are many benefits to being certified in first aid and infant CPR. See the below infographic to know why it is essential to enroll in an infant CPR training program.

Infant CPR and first aid certification

Why ‘Online-only’ CPR and first aid training is NOT SUFFICIENT?

You search on the Internet for ‘online CPR/safety training’, and you will find a number of organizations offering instant CPR courses at half the cost of traditional CPR classes. Busy professionals who are required to hold certain safety certifications often opt for online-only courses. However, the fact is that online-only CPR/first aid certification is not accepted by any government or regulatory agency in the United States.

Recently, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a statement to its compliance officers (inspectors) stating that online training alone does not meet OSHA first aid and CPR training requirements. Only computer-based training in CPR and first aid techniques is NOT SUFFICIENT and would result in a Serious Violation of the OSHA regulations. OSHA believes that safety training programs need to be comprehensible and should include traditional classroom-based training, audiovisuals, classroom interaction, and interactive video. Only workplace training in subjects that are not related to safety (or when employee safety is not at risk) may be acceptable via computer-based technologies.

Why ‘Online-only’ CPR and first aid training is NOT SUFFICIENT?
No major nationally recognized training program or reputed training providers in the U.S. endorse online-only certifications without evaluating hands-on skills of participated candidates. So online safety certifications are not legitimate and one should attend traditional classroom training classes in order to get certified in CPR and first aid.

Skills learned in a first aid training class may need to be used on a friend or family member during an emergency situation. In-person instruction and hands-on evaluation are necessary to perform CPR correctly on a victim when required.

First Aid Training Courses for Caregivers

A caregiver is a paid person or unpaid family member who takes care of young children, elderly adults or people with health impairment. Caregivers regularly handle health concerns and other daily activities of the person they are taking care of. Both children and senior people are vulnerable to injuries and common health issues. That’s why it is mandatory for caregivers to have first aid training and CPR certification. Below mentioned are some of the training programs that should be undertaken by caregivers:

Pediatric First Aid/CPR for caregivers handling infants or young children
This is 9 ½ hours training program which enable caregivers to respond to emergencies by providing first aid treatment, rescue breathing, and CPR. Upon completion, you get a 2-year certification in Pediatric First Aid/CPR.

Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS): In this classroom-, video, and instructor-led course, you’ll learn about concepts such as pediatric assessment, basic life support, and PALS treatment algorithms. There is also a HeartCode PALS Part 1 training program provided by American Heart Association.

First Aid Training Courses for Caregivers
First Aid, CPR and AED Training for caregivers handling adults: The two organizations, American Red Cross and American Heart Association offer this training to people caring for impaired adults or senior persons.

Individual training programs: There are individual first aid courses for different health problems such as Alzheimer’s disease, Aphasia, and others.

These training courses have been designed to help caregivers acquire the necessary skills they need to provide adequate care to children and elderly people.

First Aid Facts & Statistics – Video

Did you know? Around 70% of people who suffer a heart attack die before getting any medical aid. Many of these deaths are preventable. However, in the absence of any knowledge and training, most people fail to provide immediate medical help to the patient. For this reason, it is considered important for everyone to know how to give CPR.

An understanding of CPR and first-aid can go a long way when it comes to helping an injured person. Providing the first-aid immediately can prevent the damage caused by an injury and in some cases save the life of an individual. There are many situations in which the medical help is not readily available. Be it spinal cord injuries, burn injuries, heat stroke or poisoning, there are many types of injuries where the patient needs immediate medical help. This video will make you familiar with some of the facts and statistics about first-aid and CPR.

Bleeding and Cuts: Three P’s you should remember

External bleeding can result from injuries or accidents. Generally when your skin is cut or scrapped by an object, the injured area begins to bleed. Bleeding and cuts are often accompanied by fear and anxiety, thus causing the situation to worsen. Severe bleeding can lead to distress and loss of consciousness. Bleeding due to cuts or other wounds calls for an emergency first aid treatment to help the patient recover and prevent further damage. The best way to remember the first aid steps for bleeding & wound care treatment is to consider the 3 P’s concept:

• P – Position the patient first: Help the injured person lie down or sit in the most comfortable position. This way you can help to reduce anxiety and heart rate in the injured patient.

• P – Position the injured part: If the wound is on the arm, limb or leg, ask the patient to raise it to comfortable position in order to reduce blood flow to the injured area. Do remember that if bleeding is due to a major accident resulting in a fracture, then don’t move the injured part too much. People who take first aid training classes are often taught about the level of elevation. If you’re not trained in wound management, raise the part that’s injured without causing further discomfort to the patient.

• P – Pressure should be applied: For small cuts, remove the debris first and clean the area. Apply pressure on the wound using a bandage. Tape a fresh bandage when bleeding has stopped. In severe bleeding cases, apply direct pressure on the wound using broadfold bandage to stop further blood loss. If blood loss through the injured part continues, take the patient to the hospital or call for medical help.

Bleeding and Cuts: Three P’s you should remember

Emergency situations may vary in bleeding cases; the three P’s mentioned here will help first responders to give immediate first aid care to the patient.