Digging Deep Into C-A-B

In the United States, there is one organization that handles or deals with the provision of the best and appropriate cardiac care to people. American Heart Association (AHA), a non-profit institution based in Dallas, Texas, was established in 1924 because of a single reason. This is to gradually reduce the number of people who die and are disabled due to cardiovascular disease and stroke. Ever since its inception almost 90 years ago, AHA has been coming up with different standards in the proper execution of one of the basic emergency medical procedures, cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR. Over the years, AHA has been providing different training courses for CPR with an objective of educating more people to increase the survival rates.

AHA is the one who sets guidelines for the processes regarding the performance of CPR and one of those is A-B-C or Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. This has been in use for such a long time before they came up with a new guideline regarding the execution of CPR. A few years ago, AHA decided that mouth-to-mouth breathing can be skipped in favor of chest compressions. Thus, from A-B-C, it is now C-A-B.

The goal of AHA why there were some changes made is that they want the simplest step first. Another reason for the switch is that they want the people to remove their uneasiness towards rescue breathing. Another reason AHA modified the CPR process is to increase the survival rate of those who suffers from sudden cardiac arrest. Since the process got simpler and easier, AHA is expecting that more people would be performing this emergency medical procedure.

The use of hands-only CPR, though, can only be done to adults. AHA strictly reminds that this action is provided to those who suffers from an unexpected collapse, then stops breathing, and becomes very unresponsive. In this kind of situation, a person would still have enough air in his lungs and blood. What the compressions would do is that it would keep the blood circulating inside the body.

Children who suffer from cardiac arrest or in lighter cases, breathing problems, can be revived through the use of the previous CPR process.

In any case, it is quite important that a person undergoes CPR training to ensure that he is equipped with the right knowledge in the performance of it. When a person knows the things necessary in the proper execution of CPR, a person would surely survive from his near-death situation.

One of the best providers of CPR training is Citywide CPR Inc. The company started providing CPR classes for almost 20 years already. Through the years, they have gone on to become a national training site of not just AHA but also of other CPR-related organizations. It includes Emergency Care and Safety Institute and American Safety and Health Institute. Citywide CPR is located in numerous cities across United States, so no one can miss the good services provided by the company.

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check out website.

Moving Away From Rescue Breathing

Before, the performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is done through the process popularly known as A-B-C, which stands for Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. In this process, rescue breathing or mouth-to-mouth breathing is done first before the performance of chest compressions. This process is quite effective but it is still complicated and there are also people who do not like doing it. Since the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest is quite low, the process has got to do with it, American Heart Association or AHA decided to ditch rescue breathing in favor of chest compressions.

AHA, though, still sees the importance of mouth-to-mouth breathing but they want the simplest step first. According to this organization, chest compressions are as effective as the standard CPR procedures especially when it is rapid and deep presses. Since there is really no need for a person or a bystander to perform rescue breathing, the organization expects that more people would now be helping individuals who suddenly collapse in their front. Aside from the fact that this change now disallows mouth-to-mouth breathing as the first step to be done, another reason why AHA is hoping for a rise in survival rate is that it is much simpler and easier to understand.

When AHA refers to a hands-only CPR, it is uninterrupted chest compressions usually at a rate of 100 per minute. This should be done until the paramedics or a medical team with an automated external defibrillator arrives. Hands-only CPR, though, can only be done to adults who collapsed, stopped breathing, and are unresponsive.

Even though hands-only CPR is considered a simple and easy emergency medical procedure, it is still necessary for a person, especially a bystander to undergo CPR training. A CPR training would allow a person to learn the basic and simple things required for the proper execution of this emergency medical procedure. The things that a person would learn about performing CPR are, but not limited to, proper hand positions during chest compressions, proper placement of hands, and correct number of compressions per minute. Not only that knowing these things would help in the proper execution of CPR, it would also help a person avoid any kind of mistake in doing it. The situation of the person who suffered from cardiac arrest is really critical, that’s why it is important that there would be no wrong steps taken.

There are plenty of providers of CPR classes around that’s why a person must be careful in choosing whom to get the training. It is essential that a person must get the most reliable company to ensure that the learning he would get is very useful.

Among the top providers in United States is Citywide CPR Inc. The company is originally based in Chicagoland/Metropolitan Area but they are also located in various cities across the United States. Other services that they offer are classes for basic life support, advanced cardiac life support, and pediatric advanced life support among others.

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check out website.

Why ABC Was Changed to CAB?

Until 2010, the performance of the emergency medical procedure cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR was done in A-B-C. This stands for Airway, Breathing, and Circulation.

Airway is done to look for the chest movement, listen the sound of breathing, and feel the breath on the cheek. In doing these things, a bystander or a rescuer would know if a person is breathing or not. If the individual is not breathing, opening the airway could result for a person to finally start breathing. If the victim still did not start breathing, performing letter B is now necessary. Rescue breathing is best done through the technique called mouth-to-mouth. In doing a mouth-to-mouth, two full breaths must be provided. When this one still doesn’t work, it is now time to work on the circulation. This one is done through an external chest compression wherein this procedure would force the heart to pump blood, which is vital in the breathing of a person. This procedure requires proper positioning of the hands and also the correct rate of compressions.

This A-B-C, though, got ditched for a much simpler procedure. The American Heart Association, a national organization that deals with emergency medical procedures such as CPR, released a guideline that would change a bit the procedure that people have come to known for. AHA switched the letters and made it C-A-B mainly because they wanted the simplest step first. This new guideline is saying those rescuers, whether medical personnel or just bystanders, need to start with hard and fast chest compressions before the mouth-to-mouth.

 

The switched in the procedures is also aimed to increase the survival rate of those who suffered from sudden cardiac arrest. This goal can be achieved since untrained bystanders can just perform chest compressions until the right people arrive, most likely paramedics. Chest compression should also do hands-only CPR until an automated external defibrillator is used.

Though hands-only CPR is not that complicated of a procedure, a proper CPR training is still needed by an individual. Through CPR training, a person would be able to know the basic techniques in the performance of it as well as the correct ways in doing it. It is quite vital for a person to know these things since he can act fast whenever a situation involving a sudden cardiac arrest happens on his sight. Doing the right measures in these kinds of situation is very essential considering the fact that any minute wasted could lower the survival rate of a person. Much more, trainings can help avoid any kinds of mistakes in doing the procedure since one wrong move could cost the life of a person.

For a CPR class, it is important for a person to choose the best provider to give him the best learning. Among the best in the business is Citywide CPR, who has been doing this for two decades already. Citywide CPR can be contacted in numerous locations around United States.

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check out website.

Hands-Only CPR is A Big Help

When emergency medical situations happen, it is very important for the people around the victim to know the different measures that they have to do so that the person would be able to survive. Though it is such a critical situation, one should not waste any minute to do something to help the person especially if it is a case of a sudden cardiac arrest. Prolonging the situation without any measures done could lessen the survival rate of the victim.

Yes, it is quite hard for a bystander to do the necessary measures especially if he doesn’t know the things to do. They would have this dilemma of whether they would do something or just wait for the right people to attend to the victim. This is where the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training or CPR training comes in.

With CPR training, a regular individual or a bystander would be able to learn the different things that deal with the proper performance of it. Some of the things taught during classes are proper hand positioning in doing a chest compression, the correct rate or number of compressions to be done, proper positioning of the head in performing rescue breathing, and the right situation to use automated external defibrillator.

A CPR class is not always for the medical personnel since there are those training providers that offer it for bystanders. What is being taught to these bystanders are the simple or basic ways to perform CPR or the so-called “hands-only” chest compression.

This “hands-only” chest compression is a great help in saving a person’s life during sudden cardiac arrest situations. Based on a couple of studies, performing this is already enough to save the life of a person. Even though the performance of this is quite rigorous as compared to a mouth-to-mouth procedure, it is more needed than rescue breathing. Even the American Heart Association is promoting the use of “hands-only” CPR.

According to these studies, the simpler the technique used the better in saving the lives of a person.

Based on the said studies, the survival rate is around 12 percent when bystanders perform the “hands-only” CPR. This result confirms the previous notions that dispatcher-directed CPR is a big reason for the increase in the survival rate of a person.

A CPR class is such an important procedure that has been used for more than five decades. Through this procedure, several body parts such the brain is being pumped in with blood as well as oxygen manually since the heart is not functioning very well.

One of the top providers of a CPR class is Citywide CPR, who has been in this business for more than two decades. Aside from providing CPR trainings, they also offer classes on basic life support, advanced cardiac life support, and pediatric advanced life support. They can be contacted for their services through its numerous locations across the United States.

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check out website.

Importance of Proper Management of AED To Have High Survival Rates

In any emergency medical situation, it is important for any individual near the victim that the correct measures are done to make the individual survive. Among the medical situations which really need the performance of immediate measures is sudden cardiac arrest. This term is used when an unexpected cardiac arrest happened to an individual. A cardiac arrest refers to the interruption in the normal circulation of blood. This happens due to the heart’s failure in contracting normally. When one suffers from cardiac arrest, immediate response must be provided since any minute wasted could cost the life of a person. One of the measures done to make the victim survive from the situation is the use of automated external defibrillator or AED.

AED makes use of defibrillation in making the heart establish its effective rhythm. Defibrillation is the delivery of a therapeutic dose of electrical energy into the heart which eventually results into the stoppage of arrhythmia. This portable electronic device was designed to be used by laypersons during cases when cardiac arrests happen outside of the hospital. The most ideal people to use AED are those who received a proper training for it to ensure that the proper utilization is done.

To ensure that the AED would be used by more people in the community, numerous items were distributed and sold throughout the United States. Based on data, there is an estimate of one million AEDs sold across the US and were put in airports, casinos, shopping malls, and recreation centers and gyms. Other public places were also the destination of some of the AEDs purchased. Despite the presence of AEDs in public places, there is one glaring problem though regarding it. The cardiac arrest survival rates are still quite poor in certain areas in the US. The survival rate is at a measly below 10 percent.

An organization in Pennsylvania made a study focused on mapping out the locations of 3,483 cardiac arrests which happened outside the hospital. Out of that figure, only seven percent happened within a 200-foot radius of an AED. To put the 200 feet radius into perspective, it is a two-minute walk, roundtrip from where the victim is. At least 10 percent was within 400 feet (four-minute walk) while at least 21 percent happened within 600 feet (six-minute walk). The patient’s survival rate significantly drops after AED was applied six minutes after the incident happened, considering that there is already a decrease of 10 percent in survival in each minute that passes.

In this kind of problem, facilities with AED must get a company which can help them in AED program management as well as AED medical oversight to ensure that the device would be used properly. One reliable company would be Citywide CPR Inc. Headquartered in the Chicagoland/Metropolitan Area, Citywide CPR can be contacted in various locations across the US. Aside from their AED services, the company also offers training courses in CPR, BLS, and ACLS among others.

For more information about AED medical oversight and AED program management, please visit our website.

New Bill Aims to Help Placement of AED in Schools in New Jersey

The state of New Jersey made a bold move in recent months to ensure that those who suffered from sudden cardiac arrest would be saved from any other serious conditions. A bill already got cleared in committees in both the State Senate and the State Assembly and only waits for a full vote for both houses.

Bill S-167 or otherwise known as Janet’s Law requires all public and private schools with students from grades K to 12 to have readily-accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on their premises as well as maintain the presence of it. Another provision on the said bill is a requirement for every school to have at least five employees who are certified to use CPR and AED. This bill was named after the late Janet Zilinski, a New Jersey student who collapsed and died during a school cheerleading practice in 2006. The legislation was created by Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, R-Somerset-Morris. The parents of Janet, Karen and Jim Zilinski, already created The Janet Fund to be able to gather AEDs and donate it to schools in the state as well as in playfields

The Zilinkis advocated for the passage of Janet’s Law during their recent meetings with the state legislators. During the meeting, they presented facts that would help strengthen the chances of the bill getting passed as a law. They said that after the death of their daughter in 2006, more than 30 students died of sudden cardiac arrest as compared to the states with laws on AED in schools. According to them, dozens of students in New York, Ohio, and Texas were able to have their lives saved due to AED.

Different organizations has already supported Janet’s Law which include American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, Athletic Trainers’ Society of New Jersey, New Jersey Association of School Administrators, and New Jersey Education Association. Other organizations which support the bill are New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association, New Jersey State School Nurses Association, Parent Heart Watch, and the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation.

Aside from Janet’s Law, there is another AED legislation that is in the works in New Jersey. This bill is aimed to update the existing Public Access to Defibrillation Law and was already passed in the Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee of the New Jersey Senate in January. Like the Janet’s Law, it is also being considered by the full state Senate.

Under this bill, otherwise known as Good Samaritan Law, one provision calls for an extension on the protection of someone who uses an AED during emergency situation from any kind of civil liability.

In case that Janet’s Law becomes a state law, schools need proper AED program management as well as AED medical oversight to ensure that this portable device is well-taken care of. A good company to provide this is Citywide CPR Inc., which also provides trainings for different emergency situations. The company is available in various locations across United States.

For more information about AED medical oversight and AED program management, please visit our website.

Importance of AED in Schools, Sporting Venues

One of the best ways to develop the personality of a young individual is to have him try sports, especially those team sports. When a kid is playing a sport, he would definitely develop teamwork, camaraderie, respect, confidence, trust, and so on. In other words, there are a lot of benefits of sports. There are times though when accidents happen, the ones that could potentially end the life of a kid. This is where the knowledge about emergency medical procedures kicks in. If one person inside the sporting venue knows what to do after a particular incident happens, then the kid would be saved from near-death situation.

Tyler Symes, 15, was playing hockey when he got hit by a puck which almost cost his life. Luckily, he was saved by a portable device that brought back the normal beating of his heart. That device is known as the automated external defibrillator or AED. This portable electronic device makes use of electrical therapy to stop the existence of arrhythmia. Without arrhythmia, the heart would be able to reestablish an effective rhythm, thus giving a person a chance to live.

In the incident that Symes was part of, the hockey puck hit his chest at the precise fraction of a second between heartbeats. This caused Symes to suffer a condition called commotion cordis which could eventually lead to cardiac arrest. In this kind of situation, every second counts that’s why the use of AED is important. Majority of the injuries, like what Symes had, were fatal.

AEDs must be placed in locations where most of the people are located, such as schools and during sporting events. At least 12 states in the United States already laws in place regarding AEDs in schools. Five states, on the other hand, have pending legislations that requires educational institutions to have this portable device. There are 34 states, though, which have no laws requiring AEDs in sporting events or not even considering it.

Placement of AEDs in those places is very important especially with these young individuals being in great risk every time. When the AEDs are already in place, it is important that this device is properly taken care of through an AED program management. To help in this kind of situation, the establishment with AED must employ an AED medical oversight to assist in the correct handling of the device.

A good provider of AED program management must offer a complete solution, meaning they have the tools in proper monitoring of the program. One example of the tools is a web-based tracking system, which helps in up-to-date monitoring of the program. Moreover, the AED medical oversight should help in the total compliance with the law, meaning a program follows all federal, state and local legislation regarding this device.

Citywide CPR Inc. definitely has all those mentioned tools and compliance with the law. Headquartered in Chicagoland/Metropolitan Area, Citywide CPR can also be found in numerous cities across the country.

For more information about AED medical oversight and AED program management, please visit our website.

Changes in CPR Allowed Lay People to Perform It

One of the best feelings in life is being to save the life of one person who suffered from cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac arrest. Whether an individual is a professional medical personnel or not, he has the ability to revive a person from near-death situations and let the victim live longer. Before, performance of emergency medical procedures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR was only done by people who were trained for it. Nowadays, anyone can perform this medical procedure even without proper CPR training.

Numerous developments were made in the past years about CPR with a main goal of increasing the survival rate from cardiac arrest. It includes compression-only CPR or hands-only CPR, and AED-assisted CPR. The latter makes use of a portable device called automated external defibrillator in delivering electric shock into the heart of the victim.

In the past, reviving any victim of a cardiac arrest involved the process known as A-B-C or Airway – Breathing – Compressions. This process has been in use for more than 40 years already and emphasized on the rescuers opening the airways, pinching the nose, and breathing air into the victim’s mouth before the chest compressions. The American Heart Association, though, made changes with that process a couple of years back. Instead of A-B-C, it is now C-A-B, with the chest compressions being done first.

These changes have allowed anyone near the cardiac arrest victim to do CPR until the medical rescuers arrive on the scene. According to Dr. Michael Sayre, head of the American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee of AHA, a lot of people are afraid to perform CPR. Sayre told that the main concern of the people is that they might do CPR wrongly which could hurt the victim even more. Sayre erased all the worries of the people regarding CPR by saying that performing it “is better than doing nothing at all.” He also advised the people that when faced in a cardiac arrest emergency, calling 911 can be done aside from performing CPR.

By the numbers

If a person wants to know more about CPR, he must attend a CPR training provided by different companies all over the United States. Before actually going on CPR training, one must know some facts related to this medical procedure and cardiac arrest.

  • 1 – Cardiac arrest is the number one cause of death among Americans
  • 300,000 – There are approximately 300,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidents reported annually
  • 8 – The survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests is eight percent
  • 70 – There are almost 70 percent Americans who never had training. Included also in that percentage are those who had training but it already lapsed

For a really good provider of CPR classes, one name to trust is Citywide CPR Inc. This CPR class’s provider is based in Chicagoland/Metropolitan Area and can be contacted in numerous locations across United States. The company serves as a national training site for AHA, Emergency Care and Safety Institute and American Safety and Health Institute.

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check out website.

New CPR Developments: From ABC, It is Now CAB

In the streets or in any other place in the community, there will be times that emergency medical situations happen. One example would be the sudden cardiac arrest or SCA. This one happens when there is a sudden stop in the normal circulation of the blood which is due to the heart’s failure to contract effectively. SCA can occur after a heart attack or when a person suffered from electrocution or near-drowning.

When this situation happens, a person would collapse then his breathing would become abnormal and his body would become unresponsive. The survival rate of any individual who suffered from this condition is only limited for several minutes and any delay in the performance of emergency measures could cause death. According to a data of the American Heart Association, the survival rate of Americans from cardiac arrest outside the hospitals is from 3 to 15 percent. This low number calls for a more intensive CPR training among the people in the community.

Part of any CPR training provided is the proper ways on how to perform the different emergency measures like cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR and the proper use of automated external defibrillator or AED. In previous CPR classes given to those who want to get learned in these emergency procedures, students were taught about ABC or Airway – Breathing – Compressions. This means that two breaths must be given first to the victim before the alternate chest compressions is provided. Chest compressions are usually at 30 presses.

This old ABC training, however, was changed by the American Heart Association as per the new guidelines they have released. From ABC, it is now CAB. According to the new guidelines of AHA, which made some changes on the steps for CPR, it called for rescuers whether professional or just a bystander, to start with hard, fast chest presses before giving mouth-to-mouth. The changes made emphasized on putting the simplest step first.

One of the co-authors of this new guideline is Dr. Michael Sayre, an emergency doctor at Ohio State University Medical Center. Sayre told that the old method of CPR took time as well as delayed the chest presses, which is important in keeping the blood in circulating in the heart. According to him, chest compressions acts like an artificial heart wherein the blood brought to the heart carries oxygen, which makes the organs alive.

As per the changes in the guidelines, Sayre told that 30 chest compressions must be started immediately before the two breaths. The changes made, though, are applicable only to adults and children but not on newborns.

If you are looking for a company that would provide you with a CPR training involving the new guidelines, a good choice would be Citywide CPR Inc. It is a national training site of the American Heart Association as well as the Emergency Care and Safety Institute and American Safety and Health Institute. Citywide CPR is located in numerous cities across the United States, leaving no one worried about how they can get the services of the company.

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check out website.

Things to Know Before Purchasing AEDs

Life has always been full of surprises. In the sudden turn of events, you happen to be with a person who suffers from sudden cardiac or pulmonary arrest. Then you are placed in a situation where you do not know what to do and you do not want to see that person die. In this instance, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or automated external defibrillator (AED) can help people save a person’s life. So, it is crucial to learn some of the basic things you need to provide for a person who suffers from cardiac arrest.

One of the most important things that the medical breakthrough has brought is the portable AEDs. It is a medical device created to increase the chances of recovery of a person who unexpectedly suffers from cardiac arrest. Since some people have minimal training in using such a device, the law prohibits purchasing it without a prescription from a certified physician. This physician is popularly known as the medical director of an AED program. During emergency situations, the medical director can also perform the standard operating procedures that are necessary to recover a person from cardiac arrest. So, if you want to own this device, you must first undergo proper AED Training and get a prescription from your AED training school’s medical director.

AED is a computer-based device that can check a person’s heart rate. It is accurate in information and easy to use. With Citywide CPR Incorporated, you can learn a lot of up to date information regarding AED devices. The company offers classroom-based and online courses for people who desire to have a proper training on how to use AED and eventually to own one. The classroom-based AED training features group interaction and tutoring from an experienced American Heart Association instructor. The online-based courses feature flexibility in schedule and workplace that allows a student to work at his/her own pace while taking the lesson. As part of the AHA’s eLearning program, it also features skills session in the form of hands-on practice and evaluation.

For an instance, if you want to provide your company AED devices as part of the risk management plan, you can enroll your employees to an AED training school. Citywide CPR extends their services to conduct AED or CPR trainings at your own workplace. The company has knowledgeable trainers that can provide up-to-date information about certain compliances that the country requires regarding AED’s. Prior to purchasing AEDs for public use, like in a workplace, individuals must obtain a medical prescription. With Citywide, the company ensures people that their service program guarantees standard and updated compliance to all states, local departments (US Food and Drug Administration), and federal laws.

On that basis, the company provides Medical Oversight Direction program for clients to assure that AED training and other programs are compliant with all laws governing such training programs. With a board certified physician, clients are rest assured that their AED program is properly managed and supervised at all costs.

In addition, Citywide CPR is a nationally known provider of CPR AED management programs, AED training, BLS, First aid certification, and other services.

For more information about AED Medical Oversight and AED Program Management, please visit our website.