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Dec 23

How to Deal With Bleeding

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First Aid and CPR/AED classes are valuable for anyone, but especially parents. Learning these life-saving skills is essential for keeping yourself and your loved ones safe during an emergency.

 

One of the skills that you will learn during a First Aid class is how to help a victim that is bleeding.

Approaching the Victim

When approaching a victim who is experiencing major bleeding, you should immediately call 911 and put gloves on your hands.

If gloves are not available, make sure there is a barrier between your hands and the victim. You want to prevent yourself from coming into contact with the victim’s blood.

Look For An Object

Next, you will want to inspect the wound for any foreign objects. Look for anything that could have punctured or penetrated the victim.

If an object has penetrated the victim’s eyeball, do not remove it. Instead, you will want to hold the item in place to prevent it from moving and causing further injury to the eye. Make sure that you do not apply pressure or a bandage to the eye. Hold the object in place until medical help arrives.

If the object has penetrated another part of the victim’s body and looks like it may have hit a major organ, or if it has deeply punctured the victim, do not remove the object. Instead, stabilize the object by taping or holding it in place until medical help arrives. Make sure you splint any limbs involved to prevent them from moving.

If the object has fallen out or has already been removed, always check to see if a part of the object is still inside the wound. If so, make sure to leave it in place and have a doctor remove it later. Any small object that is visible or sticking out of the wound can be removed with clean tweezers. After removal, pressure should be applied to the wound.

Apply Pressure

After the object has been removed or if there isn’t an object present, you will want to apply direct pressure to the wound with gauze. If gauze is not present, you can use a clean article of clothing to help stop the bleeding.

Hold the gauze or clothing on the wound until medical personnel arrive. If more gauze or clothing is needed, do not remove the first layer, simply keep adding more layers of cloth on top.

Familiarizing yourself with these steps is important, but there is no substitution for taking a First Aid class and learning essential life-saving skills. We offer several first aid classes throughout the month. Make sure you know how to keep your family safe by enrolling today!

 

Dec 10

CPR: Why You Need to Know Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

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If an emergency occurs and someone needs mediate medical attention like CPR, the odds are not in their favor. A study from Duke University finds that only 3.5 percent of people each year are properly trained in CPR.

 

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, commonly known as CPR, is a lifesaving technique that can be administered to someone during an emergency. CPR is commonly used on a person who has drowned or experienced a heart attack, causing their heartbeat or breathing to stop.

During each minute that CPR is not initiated with someone who has stopped breathing or does not have a pulse, survival rates drop by 10 percent.

The American Heart Association recommends that any bystander should take action if someone is in need of CPR. Even if you aren’t confident in your ability or fearful of your knowledge about CPR, you need to take action.

The difference between acting and not acting could be the deciding factor in saving a person’s life.

If you are untrained in CPR – or, even if you are trained but rusty – the American Heart Association recommends that you provide hands-only CPR at the rate of 100 chest compressions per minute to any adult needing CPR.

However, before you begin chest compressions make sure that someone has called 911. The proper way to perform chest compression is as follows:

1. Put the person on his or her back on a firm surface.
2. Kneel next to the person’s neck and shoulders
3. Place the heel of your hand over the center of a person’s chest between the nipples. Place your other hand on top of the first hand. Make sure you keep your elbows straight, and your shoulders should be positioned directly above your hands.
4. Use your upper body weight to push straight down on the chest. You will want to make sure you push at least 2 inches deep.
5. Continue chest compressions until there are signs of improvement or until trained emergency medical personal can takeover.

Remember, performing chest compression is only a single step in successfully performing CPR during an emergency. You will need to be formally trained in CPR to be able to add the breathing component. Also, chest compression is performed differently on a child or newborn than stated above. If you have a child or newborn in your life, please seek proper training.

Don’t be one of the 96.5 percent of people who wouldn’t know what to do during an emergency. Empower yourself by registering for a CPR/AED and First Aid class today and help save someone’s life.

We offer CPR classes every month! Browse our online calendar to register for a class that fits your schedule!

Dec 04

Automated External Defibrillator: Important Information About AEDs

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An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable device that checks a person’s heart rhythm and sends an electric shock to the heart in an attempt to restore a normal rhythm.

How The Heart Works

Inside the heart there is an electrical system that regulates the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat.

An average resting adult’s heart beats 72 times per minute. Each time a beat occurs, an electrical signal spreads from the top of the heart to the bottom, causing the heart to contract and pump blood.

When a problem with the heart’s electrical system occurs, this causes an irregular heartbeat and can trigger a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

How An AED Works

An AED should be used on someone who could possibly be having a sudden cardiac arrest. When an SCA occurs, death can follow if the problem is not treated within minutes.

Automated external defibrillators are lightweight, battery-operated and portable devices. Each AED package comes equipped with electrode pads, a CPR mask, a first aid pack and the AED Unit.

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Once the AED is turned on, a voice prompts you with directions on how to use the device. Before using it yourself, you should always check to see if there are any trained CPR/AED personal in the area. If so, leave the operation of the device to them.

An AED is safe to use and there have been no reported instances where the device has administered an inappropriate shock or harmed any bystanders.

Training To Use An AED

According the Red Cross, AEDs can be credited for saving thousands of lives each year. Automated external defibrillators can now be found on a majority of high school campuses and in sports complexes across the country. These devices are becoming common pieces of lifesaving equipment.

Now that automated external defibrillators can be found in most public areas, it is more important than ever that you know how to properly operate one.

Sign-Up for one of our CPR/AED classes today to be trained how to efficiently use the device. We also sell the only AEDs on the market that provide live CPR feedback for the user.

Knowing how to use an AED could save a life.

Photo Credit: Rama & Rotatebot