CPR, or Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, is one of the most important life-saving technique that everyone should be aware of. This procedure makes it possible to “restart” the heart and the lungs by manual manipulation.Performed both outside and inside of the hospital, a Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation involves the conduct of chest compressions that should be at least 5 cm deep at about 100 compressions in a minute. In some cases, the first responders would also perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in order to facilitate the patient’s breathing.

Not all people, however, can perform a CPR as this life-saving procedure requires training first before you can be allowed to perform it. This is to ensure that the chest compressions are done according to set standards. One has to keep in mind that improper CPR can cause the patient to suffer from broken ribs. Ribs that become fractured also carry the risk of puncturing vital organs. It is because of this that many clinicians would like to educate the public on how a CPR should be conducted. There’s one doctor, however, who would like to do this, and more!

CPR Trainings are typically divided into three levels – CPR-A, CPR-B, CPR-C, and CPR-HCB. The first type, CPR-A, is meant for those involved in workplace as well as lay rescue efforts. The second, CPR-B, is meant for those who are child workers. CPR-C is the training program that is focused on first responders, fire fighters, policemen, workplace first aiders, and life guards. Lastly, the CPR-HCP program is for those who are health care providers. This would include doctors, nurses, and paramedics.

Dr. Thomas Nero is a Stamford doctor that aims not only to inform the public about how a CPR should be conducted. He also wants to break the world record when it comes to the number of attendees in a single CPR Training. Why so? Well, this aim was primarily brought by the fact that only about 25% of victims suffering from cardiac arrest was attended to by bystanders. Because of this, Dr. Nero is willing to go the distance and train about 10,000 people when it comes to giving CPR. Currently, the most number of attendees in one day for a CPR Training is at 7,909. A number that is held by the Singapore Heart Association. The said world-record training took place last January 2011. Dr. Nero has already coordinated with more than 30 medical professionals in order to provide support in training the droves of people who would be attending the said training. Each of the hands-only CPR training is expected to last for only 15 to 20 minutes in order to allow the trainers to handle more people during the day. Attendees would be taught the three c’s of CPR – check, call, compress.

The record-breaking seminar would be held this coming Saturday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut which can be found at 1 Blanchley Road. If you are unable to make it, you can still choose other CPR training and certification centers and service providers.

When it comes to the various causes for accidental death all over the world, drowning in swimming pools tends to be on the top. Majority of the victims involved happen to be children with ages between 1 and 4 years old. In the case of adult victims, however, most of them drowned because of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) while within the pool. In majority of the latter cases, the death could have been prevented if there was an AED on hand that can help normalize and even “jump start” the rhythm of the heart.

An AED, or more commonly known as the Automated External Defibrillator, is a portable device that is typically used in order to detect the rhythm of the heart beat. As a defibrillator, it is helpful in normalizing the beating of the heart, especially for patients suffering from ventricular arrhythmia. It is usually battery-operated and comes in a kit complete with scissors, the unit, the pads, and the instructions. Most models come with visual instructions as well as voice prompts that help guide the user on what to do. What this device does is send electrical shocks to the heart in order to “jolt” the latter into normal beating pattern. This is particularly important in the case of SCA incidents as death can occur within minutes if the victim is not treated properly.

Unfortunately, an AED is not something that is readily available to people or institutions with very little budget. In most cases, a unit of AED could cause a lot with some even amounting to more than $3,000. That does not include the annual fees that you have to pay just to ensure that the AED is running properly. That being the case, it is quite rare to find a public swimming pool that actually has more than one AED device. Some even have none. The dangerous part is, most local swimming pools are required to have an AED on hand. So how to go around this?

One foundation was able to come up with a way to deal with the need for AED – hold a fundraising program where the proceeds  would be used in order to buy AEDs for qualified public swimming pools. Hosted by the Connor Cares Foundation, the said fundraising event would be held this coming September a5, 7:00 pm at the J. King’s Restaurant located at Gambrills. Tickets to the event is set at $20.00 each. The price is not bad considering the price of the AED in the market today.

The Connor Cares Foundation was put up in order to honor the memory of Connor Freed, a 5-year drowning victim who lost his life last 2006.

Of course, having an AED is not enough. If you come face to face with danger, you also have to know how and when to make use of it as well as how to perform a CPR. If you would like to familiarize yourself with how an AED is used, check out Citywide CPR and its AED  Program Management.

Cardiac Arrest, more commonly known as heart attack, is a medical condition that can be likened to a thief in the night – it comes when you least expect it. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease, including irregular heart beat, is the top cause of death in the US. Each year, there are about 800,000 survivors of heart attack. However, there are still more than 200,000 people who suffer from heart attack and other heart-related problems who die because of it, including more than a hundred thousand people who meet their death even before they were able to get to a hospital. These figures highlight even more the need for someone to know CPR as well as how to use basic AED.

Most cardiac arrests comes as a result of ventricular fibrillation. This medical condition tends to be life threatening as uncoordinated contraction of the ventricles causes the heart to quiver instead of contract. Of course, this has an effect on the flow of blood throughout the body.This is where the AED comes in.

AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator. It is a portable electronic device that is commonly used by first responders when it comes to diagnosing whether the patient has a cardiac arrhythmia. It is user-friendly with lay men able to use it even if they have very little to no training with the said device at all. As a defibrillator, an AED is able to restore normal rhythm to the heart. Unfortunately, not many people know how to use an AED device; added to that is the fact that AED devices tend to be costly. Fortunately, the latter can easily be solved by sharing the amount among members of a group. So how does one use an Automated External Defibrillator?

Before you make use of an AED you have to keep a few things in mind. First, you have to confirm if the patient is actually unconscious. Once done, check for pulse and breathing. If you cannot ascertain how long the person has been unconscious, administer first CPR before proceeding to the use of AED. If, on the other hand, you are quite sure that only  a few minutes have passed since the person has become unconscious, you can immediately use am AED. Now, when using an AED, make sure that the patient in a dry area. Open the victim’s upper clothing so that the chest area is exposed. Make sure that the chest area is dry. One pad should go to the center part of the chest above the nipple while the other should be on the left side below the nipple. Check for medication pads, piercings, and medical devices. Remove the patches and piercings, and make sure that the pads are at least an inch away from the implanted devices. Turn on the AED and follow the voice prompts. If the device keeps asking you to check the electrodes, see if the pads are making good contact with the skin.

Using an AED and learning CPR is now easy as institutions like Citywide CPR are able to provide CPR Training and AED Program Management. Visit our web site for more information.

It seems so simple. You come across someone suffering from a cardiac arrest. You get down on your knees and start compressing the patient’s chests. You are thinking that the harder you make the compressions, the more likely the victim would be able to pull through. Or is it?

Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, or more commonly known as CPR, is considered to be one of the most effective way by which a person suffering from cardiac arrest may be able to recover. In the past, CPR usually involved, compressions, checking of the airway, and breathing. In 2010, however, guidelines on how a CPR should be carried was updated by both the American Heart Association as well as the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. Instead of the typical ABC (Airway, Breathing, Compression), a CPR now starts with Chest Compressions, followed by Airway, and then Breathing. The only time that the ABC model is followed is when the patient concerned happens to be newborns as well as those who are suffering from respiratory arrest brought about by drowning for example.

Unfortunately, not only do most of the public have no idea about the shift from ABC to CAB, they are also misinformed about how CPR is performed. For one, not many people are aware that there is actually a specific point where you can do the compressions. Most people actually believe that compressions had to be done on top of the heart. In some cases, they do not compress deep enough, thinking that doing the compressions fast would make up for the lack of depth. This is probably the reason why a research conducted by Korean researchers have shown that, out of 71 patients, around 20 would suffer from broken ribs while about 15 would have multiple bone breaks. The same study also showed that, while 1 out of 3 patients attended to by paramedics sustained broken ribs, there was 1 in every 3 patients who suffered from broken bones after a lay person administered CPR on them. Of course, there are also other factors to consider when it comes to the persistence of broken bones in patients receiving CPR, aside from the inexperience or lack of training of the person administering the CPR.

One of the factors that could have played a part on the persistence of broken bones is the condition of the bones themselves. If the patient is suffering from osteoporosis, there is a great risk for the bones breaking especially when pressure is applied. There is credence to this as there is a higher incidence of bone fracture in women than in men, the former being more prone to osteoporosis.

The results of this study, however, should not dampen one’s resolve to learn CPR. After all, what’s a few broken bones if it allows the person to live a little longer?

If you are intent on pursing your CPR training and certification, there are a number of programs that you can take advantage of online.

You’ve seen it in TV shows, and maybe even in movies – a brilliant but misunderstood woman pushed to the limits of her sanity decides to end it all by jumping into the ocean. Suddenly, a handsome guy comes running to save her from the crashing waves only to find the girl unconscious after having drowned form the crashing waves of water. The guy performs CPR very fast in the hopes of getting her to breathe again as soon as possible. This might be a great story for many; but in real life, this could actually spell disaster.

A new study from Belgium has found out that making very fast compressions during CPR actually does not do much help and could even be dangerous. The study was spearheaded by Dr. Koenraad Monsieurs of the Antwerp University. In order to come up with the results, Dr. Monsieurs and his colleagues made use of an accelerometer as a way to gauge the rate of chest compression as well as the depth of each. About 130 health care professionals where observed as part of this study. Some of the subjects who made about 145 compressions per minute had very shallow depths that were deemed to be unacceptable based on the 2005 European standards when it comes to CPR.

Based on the results, compressions of about 145 per minute results to a 4 cm shallower depth. This, of course, translates to lesser amount of blood flowing through the heart and the brain. You have to keep in mind that the lesser the amount of blood going to the heart and the brain, the higher the possibility of the patient suffering from dire consequences. Aside from this, the more blood there is flowing through the heart, the higher the possibility that the defibrillator would be able to jumpstart the beating if the heart.

Medical doctors and other professionals, however, do not recommend slowing down and making each compression deeper. The secret is to make sure that the compressions are delivered in a fast yet deeper manner. The delivery of the compressions should also be one wherein the responder does not get tired easily. Keep in mind that, when it comes to CPRs, the compressions and breathing should be delivered in a consistent manner. Otherwise, not only would the process be time consuming but it could also lead to adverse effects.

Current standards on CPR no longer calls for rescue breaths especially if only a bystander is near the patient. Instead, bystanders who would be performing CPR can concentrate on compressions only and just wait for emergency responders to arrive. Once the responders get to the patient, they can proceed to either defibrillating the patient or continuing with the compressions. If the bystander happens to have knowledge about CPR, he has to make sure that he starts with the compressions before addressing the airway as well as the breathing. This ensures that oxygen-rich blood is able to circulate immediately. Simply put, resuscitating a heart attack victim would call for C-A-B (Compression – Airway – Breathing) instead of the traditional A-B-C.

One way to ensure that you are doing things correctly is to undergo a CPR Training and Certification program.

Heart attacks, or cardiac arrest, can happen anytime. One moment you are enjoying a nice meal, the next, you are having a hard time breathing. For most people, recognizing the signs of a heart attack can be easy. For some, however, hear attacks can come sneaking in that they have very little time to alert those around them. What happens if that person, unfortunately, only has his middle school children around?

There is no such thing as being too early when it comes to teaching your child the basics of how to do a CPR and how to act during emergency cases. And now, with the help of medical students from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, middle school children would be able to know what to do in cases of emergency.

The six-minute video presents the students with plausible scenarios that could happen to an adult around them. The videos also show the students how a CPR is performed as well as how to use an AED should a person suffer a heart attack.

According to recent surveys and studies, almost 400,000 Americans suffer from cardiac arrest while they are outside of a medical facility each year. In most cases, they are at home and are around their family, especially children, when that happens.

That being the case, it is only right that even children as young as 12 be taught what to do when they encounter someone having a heart attack. This was the same reason why Dr. Amer Aldeen, the assistant professor for emergency medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said yes to overseeing the video project and co-founding CCARES. CCARES stands for Chicago Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation Education Service.

Aside from the video, medical students from the said institution would be conducting visits to Chicago-based schools in order to answer any questions the students might have about CPR once they have seen the video.

This video is free for download online and can be used by teachers in order to teach children at least 12 years of age how to perform CPR.   One has to keep in mind that, at 12 years old, a child can already retain learning and make use of it when the situation necessitates. If the child cannot carry out the CPR, at least he or she can have an adult conduct the said emergency procedure.

The video training program comes in time for the signing of the Illinois House Bill 5114. The said bill included the video training program as part of the safety education that students in Grades 6 to 8 should undergo. Students are also encouraged to have their parents learn also more about how to conduct CPR as well as handle AEDs.

looking at it at a long-term, CCARES is also planning to release a video meant specifically for adults as well as a video translated to other popular languages such as Spanish.

If you want to undergo a professional CPR Training or undergo an AED Program Management, then visit the website of Citywide CPR.

Known as the authority and the national training site for all first aid training, Citywide CPR Inc. is also offering their CPR training via the Internet. In partnership with the American Heart Association, Emergency Care and Safety Institute, and the American Safety and Health Institute, Citywide CPR is the authorized provider of all healthcare and first air training programs needed to set the bar higher for employee competency in the medical industry.

Taking first aid training to a whole new level, Citywide CPR has launched their services on the Internet for an eLearning program which are meant for those who have hectic schedule and do not have the luxury of time to attend the traditional classroom sessions. Though eLearning CPR course will only take place on the web, one simply cannot look down on these classes as the level of learning is just as the same with classroom setups. A CPR student on the web will be able to learn everything a classroom student will know it’s just that the two differ in setting. Citywide CPR Inc.’s eLearning program will include a web-based learning session, interactive practical classes, and testing sessions with a skilled instructor from the American Heart Association. Upon the completion of the training course, the American Heart Association together with the Citywide CPR Inc. will endorse the student for a Heart Saver Completion Card.

AHA and Citywide CPR are in full force with the commitment of reducing the number of deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases and strokes. They are dedicated to provide healthcare and first aid competency to healthcare professionals such as nurses and nurses’ aides in all corners of the United States. Aside from professionals, they are also encouraging civilians to equip themselves with the knowledge in CPR for they do not know when will there be a need for CPR in case someone in the area stops breathing and there is no healthcare facility near the area.

Apart from training programs and certifications with focus on CPR, BLS, ACLS, PALS, and OSHA, they are also offering AED training, certification and servicing which is collectively known as the AED Program management which focal point is on the upkeep and monitoring of all AED units in the country, training AED operators and making sure that there is a nearby AED to be of rescue to emergency situations.

At a fraction of the usual cost, Citywide CPR Inc. can provide all healthcare facilities, professionals and non-professionals with the adequate training needed to become competitive, assertive and alert in all situations.

Saving a life does not happen merely by accident, in fact, people who have saved lives would not be able to save a dying person if it weren’t for their knowledge about CPR and first aid. Whether they have watched it on movies or videos or have read in a book, knowledge in proper CPR is indispensable these days for you will never know when someone will need your help in surviving cardiac or asthma attacks.

Do you want to get professional CPR Training or avail an AED Program Management? Visit Citywide CPR’s website.

Time and again, many doctors call the automated external defibrillator as the ultimate miracles that save the lives of people cardiac arrest patients. Technically speaking, the AED can do just that but this device is a very delicate one that requires proper upkeep and monitoring. Though consider as an electronic lifesaver, did you know that many people have already lost lives because of faulty wirings. It is such a disheartening reality to know that the malfunctioning of a device which is invented to save lives will be the cause of death of many cardiac arrest patients. What ought to be a miracle medical device marked the death of many people due to improper and insufficient maintenance.

According to the most recent news announced by the New York Times, almost a dozen of people has died due to AEDs that short circuited. What many people do not know is that short circuits are one of the most common problems among heart defibrillators. There were also some cases of defective wires that are running defibrillator. This news is especially devastating especially when defibrillators have been looked up to as effective devices that have the potency of saving lives by applying the needed pressure to revive a heart that has stopped from breathing.

The problem with AEDs is not its efficacy, but the maintenance treatment that it needs which it is not given. AEDs are one of those medical devices which are not always good-to-go. From time to time, medical technologists’ advice people and institutions who own AED to have their machines checked for calibration as well as for licensing. It is such as shame to keep up the hopes of people with a device intended to save lives but falls short on the mere purpose that it is expected to deliver.

Due to this very alarming issue, the American Heart Association has issued rules and regulations for the proper upkeep of all automated external defibrillators across the country. AHA is a non-profit organization that fosters and assures appropriate cardiac care to lessen the rate of stability and deaths caused by cardiac arrests and stroke in the United States. It implements programs in order to build healthier lives free from heart diseases and stroke. However, since this condition is a normal occurrence today, what the agency is after is to guarantee that there will be safety measures that can save a cardiac arrest patient at all times. For this reason, AHA has amended the general guidelines on conducting CPR as well as implementing  directive to have all AED units in the country inspected, located and monitored at all times. To do this, they have tied up with Citywide CPR in a partnership in an attempt to educate medical practitioners, assistants and even civilians regarding the fundamentals of first aid.

In this mission, the part of the Citywide CPR is to be the trusted national training site that shall provide all the needed lectures, courses, training, certification, monitoring and licensing of all things related to first aid. Available in both traditional and online classes, Citywide CPR offers CPR, BLS, ACLS, PALS, and OSHA training. As for the monitoring of AEDs as suggested by AHA above, they also have an AED Program Management service that provides a holistic approach on the monitoring and licensing of all defibrillators.

To know more about AED Medical Direction Oversight as well as the AED Program Management offered by Citywide CPR, feel free to visit their site.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillator are two lifesavers which are different in many ways. The former is a manual approach in an attempt to bring back the heartbeat of an individual who stopped breathing by applying force through chest pumps while the latter makes use of an electronic device in calculating the needed force and renders the shock to revive normal rhythmic heartbeat. However very different, the aim of the two is very similar and that is to save lives when an individual stops breathing due to a cardiac arrest or asthma attack.
According to medical and technological experts, since the AED is the more advanced method of bringing back the heartbeat, it must be utilized the moment that patient is attacked. However, if the sudden arrest does not respond to the shock given by the Automated External Defibrillator, CPR must be immediately provided to the patient to improve the survival.

Researchers have found out that instead of spending time analyzing why the AED would not start or looking for an available AED in the area, CPR through chest compressions and pumps should be the immediate call to action. This will improve the return of spontaneous circulation and one-year survival. Furthermore, they have come up with the conclusion that there is a 54% survival rate if a patient receives immediate chest pumps. This proves the better neurological outcomes compared to those patients who have received CPR with pauses for ventilation. Chest pumps are very powerful practices that can save lives immediately. In fact, the American Heart Association have passed a directive and a guidelines to medical practitioners as well as to civilians that in emergencies, chest pumps must be the first mode of first aid and not mouth-to-mouth resuscitation which is also an effective way to encourage bystanders to help.

Despite the great advancements in technology such as the Automated External Defibrillator, no one can deny the great power of urgency in providing CPR as first aid. The highly-advanced technological medical devices will be of no use if there will be no one to operate them or if there is no available CPR immediately.

For this concern, the American Heart Association together with the US government has come up with a campaign that’s hall target the two emergency problems faced today: the maintenance of a properly-working AED in every area and the availability and knowledge for conducting CPR. They have instigated the Citywide CPR, a company based in Chicago, IL to be the national training site and the official partner of AHA in providing training classes, seminars and licensing and certification to all AEDs in the entire country to guarantee that it is working properly and well maintained for the use of a patient anytime anywhere. Also, they will be conducting courses that shall educate and train medical professionals and civilians alike in order for them to have the knowledge and skills to conduct CPR.

Citywide CPR is at forefront and taking the lead together with AHA in offering all first aid measures such as BLS, CPR, ACLS, PALS, and OSHA Training and Certification and AED Training, Certification, and Servicing.

Do you want to get professional CPR Training or avail an AED Program Management Service? Visit Citywide CPR’s website.

The American Heart Association is striving to make the world a better place by equipping the general public with the knowledge on how to save a life in cases of asthma or cardiac arrests. Its goal is to promote an advocacy and an awareness that life is precious and one minute of negligence can lead to the death of many. Every year, the number goes up and AHA simply wants to reduce the number of people who die on the streets or inside their homes due to cardiac or asthma attack just because no one was there to save them or if there is someone there but do not know how to do CPR.

CPR is very important. When seen on TV or in the movies, CPR looks simple and uncomplicated. Many people think that it is to just pound on the chest till the breathing resuscitates. However, there is a right way to do CPR and that is what the American Heart Association wants everybody to learn. Together with its national partner and as the national training site of first aid programs Citywide CPR, they are encouraging people to join this cause of having the right skills and the adequate training even if not all of us are medical experts. This is because when times get rough and there is no medical professional around, the only thing a patient can rely on are the people around him. To some people that is trivial, but to the patient, getting his life saved by a total stranger means the world to him.

In line with this, the guidelines for conducting CPR have changed over the years. In fact, American Heart Association has updated this and announced that there is no need for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and CPR can be done just as well and as effective with hands-only chest pumps. This is also to promote accessibility among the people in the environment to offer a hand knowing that they do not need to make mouth-to-mouth contact with a patient they do not know.

Here are the three approved methods that the American Heart Association is implementing and its partner, Citywide CPR has included in its first aid trainings and classes:

• Hands-only CPR – This involved manually pumping the chest with one palm over another but the hand above is closed tightly on the hand below to initiate force and pressure. This helps manually revived the beating of the heart of a person who had a sudden cardiac arrest.
• Mouth-to-mouth CPR – As mentioned above, this is not required any longer since hands-only CPR works, but for people who do not mind and if there is a need to breathe into the mouth of the patient, this will help bring back oxygen into the lungs which can revive the breathing of the patient.
• AED-assisted CPR – This kind of CPR is done when there is an automated external defibrillator (AED) available in the area. This machine calculates the severity of the attack and comes up with the sufficient pressure that it needs to relay it electronically and bring back the rhythm of breathing again.

Learn all about these CPR methods with the traditional and online classes from Citywide CPR.

If you wish to take a class, take a look at the Citywide CPR Training and Certification available in your area.