WHY CPR?

 

Why You Should Learn First Aid, CPR and AED.

Every parent should know how and when to administer CPR. When performed correctly, CPR can save a child's life by restoring breathing and circulation until advanced life support can be given by health care providers.

 

About CPR.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is a combination of chest compressions and rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation). If someone isn't breathing or circulating blood adequately, CPR can restore circulation of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Without oxygen, permanent brain damage or death can occur in less than 8 minutes.

 

CPR may be necessary during many different emergencies, including accidents, near-drowning, suffocation, poisoning, smoke inhalation, electrocution injuries, and suspected sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

 

Reading about CPR and learning when it's needed will give you a basic understanding of the concept and procedure, but it's strongly recommended that you learn the details of how to perform CPR by taking a course. If CPR is needed, using the correct technique will give someone the best chance of recovery.

 

CPR is most successful when administered as quickly as possible, but you must first determine if it's necessary. It should only be performed when a person isn't breathing or is unresponsive.

 

First, determine that it's safe to approach the person in trouble. For instance, if someone was injured in an accident on a busy highway, you'd have to be extremely careful about ongoing traffic as you try to help. Or if someone touched an exposed wire and was electrocuted, you'd have to be certain that he or she is no longer in contact with electricity before offering assistance to prevent becoming electrocuted yourself. (Turn off the source of electricity.)

 

Once you know “THE SCENE IS SAFE”,  quickly evaluate whether the person is responsive. Look for, eyes opening, sounds from the mouth, or movement of the arms and legs. In infants, tapping the bottom of the foot can help determine if there is any level of responsiveness. In older kids and adults, this also can be done by gently shaking the shoulders and asking “ARE YOU OK”.

 

 The next step is to check if the victim is breathing (Look, Listen & Feel). You can determine this by watching the person's chest rise and fall, feel for breaths and listening for the sound.  In a CPR course, participants practice techniques for determining if breathing or circulation is adequate. If you determine the victim is not breathing, you should begin CPR and continue until help arrives.

 

Whenever CPR is needed, remember to call for emergency medical assistance. Current CPR courses teach you that if you are alone with an unresponsive infant or child, give chest compressions for five cycles (about 2 minutes) before calling for help.

 

 

The Importance of Having a First Aid Trained Employee

In every company or organization, you should be ready for the worst to happen.  Having employees who have the basic knowledge of first aid helps you get ready for any happening in your work place. It is a morale builder to employees since they can also take this training home to their families.

 

To maintain compliance employers are required to have quarterly safety meetings.  A First Aid, CPR and AED course help meet the quarterly training requirements.  Once there is an injury in the workplace, OSHA investigators will be on the premises to investigate safety records.  The investigative process begins the minute rescue personnel arrive at the site. Rescue and hospital personnel are required to report all industrial accidents to OSHA. A large percentage of companies have incurred large fines from safety violations.