Because sudden cardiac arrest is considered the leading killer disease in the world, people should be aware enough on how to avoid it or at least, to delay and lessen its effects. Bear in mind that it’s always better to take preventive measures than to desperately look for solution once the problem has started to take place. Thus, here are some of the simple, yet significant preventive actions against sudden cardiac arrest and other similar life-threatening heart conditions:

• Manage Your Cholesterol Intake – It is advised to maintain at least level 40 of LDL or “good cholesterol” and less than level 160 of HDL or “bad cholesterol”. Make a thorough research or consult your doctor on the most appropriate sources of LDL to take as well as on the list of foods to turn away from. Choose wisely the food items to be included in each of your meals.
• Control High Blood Pressure and Diabetes – These two medical conditions are likely to result a heart disease. High blood pressure or hypertension could be avoided by cutting off your intake of fatty and oily foods, while diabetes is basically prevented by lessening the amount of sugar taken inside of the body. It is also important to keep track of your body’s vital signs so you can be aware on how possible you would suffer from these health conditions.
• Stop Smoking – It should be noted that the tendency for smokers to experience heart attack is double compared to a nonsmoker. The recent clinical studies have also shown that a smoker has high chances of losing his life the moment he undergoes the said heart disease.
• Get Active But Stress-Free – Living with a sedentary lifestyle is a significant factor that leads to a heart disease. You have to keep on moving so that your heart maintains normal and healthy pumping of blood to and from different organs of the body. There’s no need to strive for extensive weightlifting and other intense workouts; simple body part movements will do. In addition, try to stay away from stressful environment and get rid of thoughts that stress you out.
• Take Enough Rest and Sleep – As long as you take regular exercises and you don’t live a sedentary life, it is best to maintain adequate amount of rest and sleep every day. Prolonged lack of sleep has been found out as a significant factor that triggers several types of heart disease. By sleeping and taking rest, you also refresh the operation of your heart so that any abnormal activity in the heart’s rhythm will be avoided.
• Stay Hydrated – It is very important to make sure that your body always has an adequate supply of water inside. Especially during workouts where you give off water in the form of perspiration, you have to drink as much water and as often as possible to replenish the released ions from your body.

You can have a cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR training course so you will get to know more about taking good care of the heart, apart from the basics of CPR. Check out citywideCPR.com to see the best CPR training program offered within your location now!

Electronics has been of great help in our daily lives. It has brought us convenience in each our tasks so we can make the most of our time and effort. It has also helped us live a more comfortable and safer life in our homes, workplaces, and other places we stay at. Even when it comes to healthcare, electronics has also consistently enabled innovations to improve quality of life and to bring solutions to various health problems.

The automated external defibrillator or AED is just one of the most significant electronic medical equipment used today. Since it was developed, this computer-based emergency device has been useful to increase the chances of reviving the heart rhythm of a person who experiences seizure or any similar emergency cardiac condition. It has now become a common aid for maximizing the success rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR. Thus, this medical device is now provided and secured in an accessible location of a public place or in some public vehicles. In this way, anyone could at least do something to immediately respond when the said critical scenario takes place.

Because it is an electronic device, it is inevitable that certain hazards come with it and should be noted of by the user. One is the concern on the power line of the equipment, which should be kept dry and intact without any opening or crack within its wire insulator. Hold the public at least two inches from its tip or just make sure that you are not holding any metallic part when plugging it. Also, you should see the labels for instructions on powering on the device, especially the voltage and power ratings. You may ask someone who is knowledgeable on electrical specifications if you don’t have any idea on safety measures when dealing with electricity.

Most AEDs today have a built-in display for instructions, operation status, and other important details. Other models even have a voice prompt for additional convenience to the user. There is also the manual that you can consult when you are too hesitant to try some functions for the first time. Moreover, another essential component of an AED that you should know well about is the defibrillator pads. The surface of these pads opposite to the handle should be taken care of very cautiously. These should never touch each other while the device is powered on. As much as possible, keep the two pads away from each other. The professional users suggest that one pad should be pressed on the patient’s upper right chest while the other is on his lower left chest. For young patients, it is advised that one pad is pressed between the two chests while the other is between the shoulder blades.

For more information about AEDs, you can go for an AED Medical Oversight and AED Program Management course. Citywide CPR offers extensive lectures and training regarding the use of AEDs as well as other related matters. Go for an an AED Medical Oversight and AED Program Management program now and find your way to become a professionally prepared AED rescuer!

Are you bothered by the heart disease that your loved one is suffering from? Then it’s now time for you to start doing the right action – to get prepared for the necessary solution whenever and if ever a cardiac emergency condition takes place. Thus, one of the simplest, yet effective when done immediately and properly, remedies is the cardiopulmonary resuscitation, more popularly known as CPR. Here is the ABC of this common first aid for cardiac seizure:

• A for Airway – you need to find out first whether the collapsed person is unconscious or not by asking him “Are you okay?”. If he does not respond, immediately call 911, seek help from a medical expert or shout for help so others who know CPR better could do the necessary action right away. The patient should be lying flat on his back so you can open his airway by lifting his chin gently by a hand while your other hand pushes down his forhead to tilt his head back. Check if he is breathing and take 5 to 10 seconds to verify it.

• B for Breathing – using your forefinger and thumb, pinch the patient’s nose while keeping your hand’s heel on his forehead so his head remains tilt. Your other hand is still under his chin to lift it up. If needed and if you are comfortable to do it, perform mouth to mouth resuscitation. This is done by giving two full breaths as an air-tight seal between your and his mouth is maintained. The duration for each breath is one second and it should enable the patient’s chest to rise.

• C for Circulation – once you have given two full breaths to the patient, you can then start giving him external chest compressions with your hands. Locate the patient’s notch at the middle of the chest or the interception of the bottom rims of the ribcage. The heel of your hand should be on the sternum (Breastbone), which is next to the notch and between the nipples. Your shoulders should be over his sternum and should be pressed downward to keep your arms straight. Each chest compression is 5cm deep and should be done at a rate of 100 times per minute. It is suggested to switch back to mouth to mouth resuscitation after 30 chest compressions and repeat this cycle until the patient has regained his consciousness or unfortunately, until he finally loses his life.

The American Heart Association or AHA is now encouraging everyone to undergo CPR training or at least learn the basics of CPR. In this way, anyone could be a prepared immediate responder when such emergency case occurs. How much more if you are loved one at home with you that is at risk of being into a between-life-and-death situation because of his heart condition? Visit citywidecpr.com for details on how to get an extensive and convenient CPR training. Citywide is a reputable and an AHA-accredited training center for an array of emergency medical services, including CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators or AEDs.

As concluded in the recent studies made by the American Heart Association (AHA), even young adults are now considered as candidates for sudden cardiac arrest and other similar heart conditions. That is why government institutions that standardize the industries are now requiring public establishments, especially those oftentimes filled by a crowd of people, to possess and display an operational AED in their most accessible locations. Automated external defibrillators, shortly known as AEDs, are essential in maximizing the survival chance of any person who suddenly gets caught by a life-threatening heart condition. For public buildings, these should come in a brilliant color and a protective casing so it would be easy for people to notice and recognize it.

On the other hand, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has stated in their latest findings that survival rate of a cardiac arrest sufferer dramatically declines in each minute that no emergency medical service is applied. Thus, it is strongly recommended by medical experts that in the event you are the first responder for a patient of certain heart condition, you have to give your best shot to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use an AED. This is especially necessary when professional emergency medical services are out of reach. However, it is also advisable to manage to call for help by any means while you are giving the immediate first aid for the sufferer.

It is undeniable that many people at a young age today start to become vulnerable to a variety of heart disease, including those that are seriously life-threatening and occur unpredictably. One main reason is that many young men and women, especially in metropolitan areas, are now fond of living with a sedentary lifestyle. Computers, mobile gadgets, and the internet has become a primary contributor to the inactiveness of the youth today. At the same time, the sprouting of more and more fast food chains anywhere adds to the degradation of their heart’s health. Hence, if you are one of them or have friends and relatives with the same health issue, it really pays to learn how to do CPR and to use AEDs in case of emergency. You can be a lifesaver to them if you have enough background on emergency medical services like the.

Don’t worry if you think you don’t have enough funds to go for proper training on CPR and AEDs. You can go for Citywide CPR, a widely recognized and notable emergency medical services training center accredited by AHA, OSHA, and many other related institutions. This is where you can obtain quality AED Medical Oversight and AED Program Management training courses. You can choose from a diverse range of training programs and their various schedules available.

Feel free to ask whatever you want to know more about Citywide CPR. Your inquiries are just an email away. It’s time to become more prepared, knowledgeable, and responsible for the most appropriate emergency medical assistances you can give to someone who’s life suddenly becomes at stake. Try Citywide CPR’s AED Medical Oversight and AED Program Management now.

Become a lifesaver to your loved ones and to your community! Equip yourself with some knowledge on cardiopulmonary resuscitation – one of the essential first aid practices for people got caught by cardiac arrest, heart attack, and other kinds of threatening heart conditions. Popularly known as CPR, this first aid method is primarily done to provide a way to prevent death of brain tissues while the heart is still incapable of resuming its operations. It mainly involves chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or any other means of providing external breathe to the sufferer.

It has been advised by medical experts that anyone who happens to be a first respondent in case of a life-threatening attack of such heart conditions. However, it would be best to become more able to give a higher survival rate to any sufferer, especially when there is no medical facility nearby and the help of a medical expert is hardly available. This is possible if you know more about CPR and other related first aid practices such as the use of automated external defibrillator (AED). An extensive CPR training from a reputable emergency medical services institution would be a big help. This is where you can learn the precise procedures and be able to distinguish the facts and myths about CPR. The training courses will also hone you to become a more prudent and responsible lifesaver in your community.

When you decide to undergo a training course for CPR, the first thing to do is to look for a reputable training center intended for emergency medical services. It’s a good idea to spare some time over the web for a thorough research of the training center to invest your trust with. Feel free to key in your inquiries about the training center you are considering as well as about its training courses offered. Never be in a hurry to finally choose one, especially if there are some considerations that have not yet thought about.

Citywide CPR is one of the few emergency medical services training centers that have been able to provide nothing but utmost quality of education and customer service. It has been accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) and other government institutions for community health and wellness. This prominent training center is headquartered in Chicagoland/Metropolitan Area. It offers a wide array of extensive courses that come with flexible schedule for the convenience of the trainees. Online courses for those who prefer at home are available as well, although there are somehow some disadvantages in one way or another.

There is no doubt that Citywide CPR is indeed an astounding institution that has never failed to produce quality CPR practitioners. You can take a look at this training center’s notable recognitions and association with various trusted institutions, both commercial and government. Start your way to become a certified CPR expert in no time! Choose Citywide CPR and be able to face the possibilities and threats of any type of heart condition that essentially requires emergency medical services. Check our CPR Training page and learn more about our training courses.

It’s nice to know that there are now many pubic establishments that secure their own automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to be used by anyone in case of emergency. Cardiac arrest and other types of sudden, life-threatening heart conditions may occur unpredictably and even young people could be a victim. Especially in places often filled by a crowd of people, a highly accessible AED could make a significant improvement on minimizing the chances of dead-on-arrival cases whenever such medical condition attacks.

In order to make AEDs easy to notice and recognize by anyone inside a public establishment, these are ideally in a brightly colored packaging with several necessary labels highlighted. These must also be positioned with protective cases to avoid possible misuse or accidental damage resulted by mishandling of anyone who gets access to it. Still, it is advisable to install AEDs near the establishment’s entrance or anywhere more accessible and noticeable. Remember that when a situation calls for immediate use of AED, it’s never a good idea for the first respondent to take time looking for this device nearby. At the same time, medical experts suggest anyone to initiate the use of AED while the necessary medical assistance is still not available.

Meanwhile, it is also important for any person, especially those with loved ones suffering from certain heart conditions, to know a thing or two about AEDs. This life-saving computer-based medical device was essentially intended to provide the necessary amount of electric shock to be applied on the patient’s chest as a means of “restarting” his malfunctioned heart. If it is a fully automatic type, the device voluntarily takes the appropriate and precise actions once it gets done analyzing the heart rhythm of the patient, which only takes a few seconds. Various AED models may come with their own of set of steps for the operation.

There are certain safety reminders to be taken noted of, however. First is to keep in mind that AED is an electronic device and thus, it poses electric hazard in one way or another. Such electric hazard could lead to serious accidents like fire and injuries due to mechanical impacts. That is why it is also strongly suggested to use the device properly, not mentioning the importance of keeping it in excellent condition at all times. Moreover, it is suggested for people who don’t know anything about using an AED to immediately call for help, if possible, before giving a try to operate the device to save the patient’s life.

It has been said that preparation or avoidance is way much better than cure. Hence, it’s just right to equip yourself some knowledge on how to use an automated external defibrillator effectively and safely. You can take the AED Medical Oversight and AED Program Management courses at Citywide CPR where you can learn everything you need to know about proper use of AEDs. In this way, you are not only minimizing the chances of sudden loss of one of your loved ones; you also take a big leap to serve as a responsible and concerned citizen to your community. See more about AED Medical Oversight and AED Program Management at the official website of Citywide CPR.

Because it has been tagged as the leading “killer disease” in the US, sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is something to be understood and dealt with responsibly. There are several basic facts that are at least must be kept in mind by anyone, whether medical expert or not. At the same time, there are several SCA misconceptions that should be dispelled to avoid taking inappropriate actions, especially when you are dealing with someone’s between-life-and-death situation.

Sudden cardiac arrest is basically defined as a life-threatening heart condition wherein the heart sharply and unpredictably stops functioning. It is otherwise described as the absence of the electrical impulse needed by the heart to retain proper heart functionality. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is the heart rhythm disorder that causes this “electrical problem” of the heart. This disorder results to the inability of the heart pump blood to and from different parts of the body, resulting to cardiac arrest.

It must be understood that SCA is not the same with heart attack, which is technically called as myocardial infarction (MI). Heart attack is mainly characterized by a blockage in one of the patient’s blood vessels, resulting to interruption in the blood flow throughout the heart and other vital organs of the body. This blockage could lead to the accumulation of dead heart muscles, and in some cases, could trigger ventricular fibrillation. Hence, it is possible for MI (or heart attack) and VF (or sudden cardiac arrest) to take place at the same time.

Furthermore, SCA takes place when the electrical signals that determine the heart’s lower chambers (ventricles) contractions suddenly become unorganized and move rapidly. This is where the ventricles start to palpitate and no longer capable of pumping blood to and from the heart. Fortunately, the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was developed to become a sufferer’s weapon against threats of ventricular fibrillation. This innovative device is implanted under the patient’s skin to monitor his heart’s rhythm and automatically release the necessary electric shock to correct the irregularities in the electrical signals that work in the ventricles.

For those who can’t afford to have an ICD implant, enough knowledge on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) could still be of great help to lower the cases of death due to SCA. In its most basic essence, CPR is a first aid applied in the form of at least 5cm-deep chest compressions. These chest compressions are ideally done at a rate of 100 per minute, especially for individuals who are not medical experts. When applying CPR alone, the chance of saving the sufferer’s life ranges from about 5% to 10% only. However, if you can maximize this percentage range by as much as times once you already know the professional way of doing CPR and other related prescribed actions.

In order to learn the precise and professional CPR, you can go for the CPR training offered by Citywide CPR. This training course will introduce you to a myriad of helpful topics for preparing you to become a professional CPR practitioner. Once you have successfully completed this CPR training, you can now be more confident on applying CPR to anyone who needs it, anytime and anywhere.

If you happened to see the movie “Bean” (starred by Rowan Atkinson, a.k.a. Mr. Bean); you might be familiar on how an automated external defibrillator (AED) looks like and basically works. In the movie, Mr. Bean luckily saved the life of his friend’s daughter when he unintentionally joined the surfaces of the two AED pads, which made him bounce into the unconscious lady. Is it possible? Yes, because chest compression was somehow performed and resulted into the lady’s recovery of heart functions. Is it advisable? Technically not, because it’s not the prescribed means of doing CPR and obviously, it’s not the proper use of AED.

It is best to learn first how an AED works so you can understand how the “miracle” happened in the said movie. An automated external defibrillator is nothing but a computer-based defibrillator, which is capable of scanning the patient’s heart rhythm and make analysis out of it. One primary type of AED is the semi-automatic, which gives the user the option whether or not to continue delivering the necessary electric shock to the sufferer’s chest. The other main AED type is the fully automatic, which has the ability to decide on the necessary actions to be taken, including the precise amount of electric shock to be applied. In both types, the released electric shock depolarizes a major mass of the heart muscle. It could also cease the arrhythmia and enable the reestablishment of normal sinus rhythm.

The electric shock is released via the surfaces of the AED’s defibrillator pads. Once these surfaces are pressed into the patient’s chest, the electric shock is transmitted and the patient’s body reacts impulsively. That is why it is suggested to secure a pillow under the patient’s head when applying AED because otherwise, it could bang his head into a hard surface and will cause head injury. Back in the movie, Bean accidentally shorted the two defibrillator pads and so the collision of two electrical shocks threw him hardly. Because of the huge force that acted upon him, his impact on the patient’s body apparently served as a single chest compression, which was miraculously equivalent to the necessary electric shock to resume the patient’s heart functionality.

Of course, Bean’s “method” of using the AED is incorrect. One main reason for that is the risk of applying too much chest compression force onto the patient, which could worsen the case. Second is the possibility of leading into another accident like getting electric shocked and colliding into a hard surface or a pointed object. Also, the improper use of AED could damage the device, which may even cause short circuit that could start fire.

In case you are interested on more about the proper use of AED, it’s a good idea to take AED Medical Oversight and AED Program Management course at Citywide CPR. Complete this course and you will surely become prepared enough to make the most of any AED equipment to use in saving a cardiac arrest victim’s life. Feel free to visit the official Citywide CPR AED Medical Oversight and AED Program Management page to learn more about what this course has to offer.

Have you ever thought how you will react when you are in a public place and someone suddenly undergoes cardiac arrest or any other similar severe heart condition? As a responsible and concerned citizen, you have to do your best to become a lifesaver, especially if you happen to be the first or only responder on such scenario. Just imagine what would you do when you are with one of your loved ones who unfortunately attacked by such life-threatening illness? Well, don’t panic because here are some of simple but helpful things you can do.

First, you have to learn what CPR is and how it actually works to help save a sufferer’s life. Here are some of the important things you have to know about CPR, completely known as cardiopulmonary resuscitation:

• CPR is a first aid practice that can be used to prolong the death of brain tissues because of heart malfunction that causes discontinuity in blood circulation.

• When you apply CPR, you are actually providing a means of artificial blood circulation to and from the patient’s heart, brain, and other vital organs.

• CPR is not a complete process of “restarting” the person’s malfunctioned heart, although there are cases where it works alone.

• Prescribed CPR for non-medical experts basically includes 5cm deep chest compressions. This is ideally done around 100 times per minute.

• Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is the term that refers to the point where the application of CPR has successfully made the patient’s heart regains its normal operation.

• In most cases, the use of automated external defibrillator (AED) along with CPR maximizes the sufferer’s survival from the crucial situation.

• It is more preferable for medical experts to encourage any first respondent, whether he knows CPR or not, to apply CPR to a person in cardiac arrest while the necessary, professional medical assistance is not available. The first respondent, however, should act prudently and reasonably when doing CPR.

• Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for providing an external breathe to the patient is no longer needed once the patient already reaches the ROSC state.

• You can be a certified CPR practitioner through online course, but it does not guarantee you to get good credentials when applying in a medical institution.

• Applying CPR alone to a cardiac arrest victim has a success rate of only between 5% and 10%. This percentage range could be doubled, or even tripled, if the person doing CPR is knowledgeable and trained enough just like medical experts.

These and more are the basic facts you have to bear in mind so you can be responsible enough when you are finally faced to make use of your CPR skills. You could get to learn more by doing some research or asking some medical experts you know.

Become more capable of saving people from threats of cardiac arrest and other serious heart diseases by undergoing CPR training. Citywide CPR is just one of the most reputable and widely recognized emergency services training centers that offer extensive CPR training courses at considerably affordable rates. Check it out and see for yourself how helpful it could be, especially if you are oftentimes with one of your loved ones suffering from certain heart condition.

If you think people in their “golden age” are the only candidates for sudden cardiac arrest and other similar heart diseases, better think again. It has been shown in the recent studies of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that there has been a significant increase in the cases of sudden cardiac arrest for young people aging between 15 and 34. These studies also conclude that the rate of increase in sudden cardiac arrest cases for women is higher than that of men. Meanwhile, majority of these cases lead to death before the patient gets the necessary medical treatment in a hospital.

With the said facts, it is just necessary for you to understand the importance of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that have been made accessible to public buildings and vehicles. An AED is a lifesaver medical device that was basically designed with a computer that automatically makes analysis on the heart rhythm of the patient. It comes in two main types: the semi-automatic AED that allows the user to apply the determined amount of electric shock based on the analysis made; and the fully automatic AED that does not wait for the user’s input anymore when delivering the necessary electric shock to the patient.

Medical institutions have advised that public places, which are usually occupied by a crowd of people, should provide a ready-to-use AED. Public place AEDs are ideally to come with a brightly colored packaging and secured in a protective case that is located near the entrance of the building or any accessible area. Same goes with AEDs in large-size public vehicles like airplanes and cruise lines, as well as in ambulances and other emergency services vehicles. Additionally, the provided AEDs must have a user manual along with it, highlighting the essential operations for the convenience of first-time users.

Just like the application of CPR, the use of automated external defibrillators is allowed for people who are not medical experts. The important thing is that at least, there is an immediate action applied to the sufferer who is about to lose his life because of his severe heart condition. However, if you don’t know anything about using an AED, it is strongly advised to take a glimpse first on the manual to learn how the device is basically operated along with the most important safety measures to be observed when using the device. When you are already on the actual situation, it is also important to find a way to call for the help of a medical expert while you are using the AED to save a sufferer’s life. That medical expert will then take over on the necessary action to be done.

These are just some of the first things you have to understand about AEDs. You could get to learn more of it by taking the AED Program Management and AED Medical Oversight courses at Citywide CPR. As soon as you complete AED Program Management and AED Medical Oversight, you will be far more prepared to become the first respondent on saving a heart disease sufferer’s life with the help of a public place AED.