Its National CPR/AED Awareness Week! Are you trained in CPR and familiar with the use of an AED???
If not…don’t worry. CPR has been made so easy anyone can do it! Hands-Only CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) has just two simple steps:
1) If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 9-1-1; and
2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest at about 100 beats per minute.
As part of the third year of the national Hands-Only CPR campaign, the American Heart Association has debuted a new one-minute Hands-Only CPR demo video to train Americans in the life-saving technique.
Hands-Only CPR has been proven to be as effective as CPR with breaths, and people are more likely to feel comfortable performing it. A December 2012 study published in the American Heart Association’s journal, “Circulation” found that Hands-Only CPR performed by bystanders keeps more people alive with good brain function after experiencing a cardiac arrest. An additional study in “Circulation” showed that people feel more confident performing Hands-Only CPR after viewing as little as one minute of video training.
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death with over 420,000 out-of-hospital cases occurring every year in the United States. When a teen or adult has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby. Survival rates drop as much as 10 percent for every minute that goes by without intervention.
AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) are simple to use devices that are extraordinarily helpful in aiding in the resuscitation of persons in sudden cardiac arrest. They automatically detect if a person in cardiac arrest needs a life giving electrical shock that is designed to “re-boot” the heart and allow it to resume normal function. They are so easy that an untrained person can effectively use them in an emergency with little or no difficulty. Once turned on, they literally “talk” rescuers through the emergency by giving simple audible instructions for use. You cannot accidentally shock yourself or someone who does not need the shock. AEDs increase the likelihood of a victim’s survival of sudden cardiac arrest from approximately 5% with CPR alone to nearly 50%!
At Bravo Zulu we strongly suggest that everyone be trained in CPR and the use of an AED through a recognized certification course. Whereas the new “Hand-Only CPR” is both easy and effective, taking a CPR class gives would be rescuers an opportunity to practice the skills associated with CPR (and the Heimlich Maneuver for people who are choking) and an opportunity to practice using an AED. Contact Bravo Zulu today to learn more about CPR and AEDs and how to get training for you or your business. Bravo Zulu will present CPR training classes at the time and location of your choosing. Our classes are enlightening, high energy and fun. Call 888-272-8698 today for more information on CPR classes and how to purchase an AED for your home or business.