Why Should You Get CPR And First Aid Training?
Though this may seem like it has an obvious answer - to help someone if they need it while waiting for more qualified help to arrive - maybe more information would be useful.
The skills of CPR and first aid training are basic and ones that everyone ought to learn, in case they happen to have a chance to use it to help someone - maybe even themselves or a loved one.
What if you are in a restaurant and someone at a nearby table starts choking? Could you help them? What if you are in your own home, and your child has a bicycle accident - and it is all up to you to help your child or save his life? Don't you want to be able to do all you can to help those you love and others around you?
While calling 911 or another emergency number is a great plan, the fact is, the emergency personnel - whether paramedics or EMTs with an ambulance - aren't going to be on the scene nearly as fast as those already there. The small amount that we can do - even if just a bystander - is worth the effort to take CPR and first aid training.
What You'll Learn In A CPR And First Aid Training
The critical, life-saving skills are taught by a mnemonic device as simple as ABC. Yes, many organizations who teach CPR and first aid training classes utilize this mnemonic device to help us remember the important steps to follow to help save someone's life. It is a method used by emergency personnel all over - doctors, nurses, EMTs, etc. The A, B, and C stand for specific things that should be checked - and in that certain order - to be as effective in helping the victim as possible.
A = Airway. Check to be sure the person is breathing. They must have a clear passage for the air to get in through their nose or mouth and down into their lungs. When we are awake and conscious, we automatically maintain our airway. If a person is unconscious, they cannot do this for themselves. There are various ways to clear the airway. First, be sure the tongue is not too far back into the throat area. This can be fixed by tilting the head backwards. This manually changes the angle of the airway so that the tongue is no longer a problem. Also, be sure there is nothing blocking the airway - were they choking? This can be remedied by using appropriate back slaps or abdominal thrusts, after learning how, where, and when these are to be done.
B = Breathing. The person doing the first aid will need to see if the victim is breathing. If they are, terrific! If not, the rescuer needs to begin artificial respiration, or "rescue breathing."
C = Circulation. To check circulation, the rescuer would need to check for the victim's pulse. If there is none, this is the time to begin CPR, or Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. CPR is a method of breathing for the patient as well as massaging the heart to help the blood move through the body until it can do so again on its own.
Taking CPR and First Aid Training is well worth it for anyone. Whether it is small - like bandaging an abrasion, or large, like keeping a victim alive with CPR until relief arrives, it is of benefit to all of us for each of us to be CPR and First Aid Training in these skills.
