Can you do CPR?

[colebrookman]

Could you perform CPR if you had to?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Infant too.

Matt

 

[gregp553]

Yes. I've done it.

 

[WayneB]

Advanced, including defibrillator, the one they have in malls, schools, etc. Fortunate enough to have an ER MD do the teaching.

 

[fossil]

Depends on who needs it.

 

[Dix]

Rick, help

%-P

 

[Dix]

Trained, yes. Been years, how ever.

Good thread.

 

[fossil]

Rick, help

%-P

Well...OK. Yes, I've been trained.

 

[rustynut]

sure would give it a go if the need arose......
years ago a bunch of the hunting boys got together for a free evening class and then a cold beer. Thought it might be a good thing to know. Sure would like to find another free class again as it has been quite a while.
rn

 

[colebrookman]

To elaborate a little for those not familiar. Lay person CPR is the key to surviving cardiac arrest. Heart muscle dies at ten percent per minute without any blood circulation. Without lay CPR the save rate is about one to two percent at best. With lay person CPR the save rate jumps to thirty percent; add an AED within three to five minutes and the rate approaches fifty percent. For the lay person, as apposed to the professional police, fire or EMS, there is an 80 % chance that you will be trying to save a family member or someone you know, 20% chance that it will be a stranger. Great incentive to learn CPR. It really breaks are heart when, as EMS, we arrive on a scene of a cardiac arrest and no one is doing CPR. That persons chances go down drastically. It seems today there are so many things that we can't control but this is truly one area that we can make a lifesaving difference. For more info go to the American Heart Association web site. Happy holidays and be safe.
Ed

 

[Skinn]

My wife is an instructor so I have been trained and get refreshed at least yearly on Adult, child and infant as well as the AED devices that are in Schools, malls ect. I have never needed to use it, however my wife has performed procedures for a choking infant on both of our girls as well as our neighbors baby boy. The first time our older daughter was around 1 at the time and turned blue and everything, thank god my wife was there and snapped into action. I also knew a kid growing up that when he was around 19 he found his baby brother floating in the family pool. He was able to revive him before the ambulance arrived and the child had no long term issues. He was heralded in the local paper as a success story of the local school district that teaches CPR in phys ed class.
To say I am an advocate for learning CPR is an understatement. I spend a lot of time in the backwoods, often times with my father and his friends. They are getting a little older and it would destroy me if I had to helplessly watch one of them suffer a heart attack without being able to help in some way. I have heard a lot of differing opinions as to the probability of saving someone but to me I want to be able to at least try to do what I can.

 

[burnham]

Yup, get trained yearly at work in CPR and AED.

 

[oilstinks]

Trained every year on my vol. fire dept. guess that makes me a firefighter wanna be

 

[firefighterjake]

I hope I'm good to go . . . long time American Heart Association BLS CPR Instructor and an EMT . . . and I've done CPR more than a few times in my career.

 

[Flatbedford]

I can't even remember how many times I've had the training in school or at work over the years. The last time was a few years ago, but it did include the AED training. I have never used it, and hope I never have to.

 

[d.n.f.]

Without an AED it statistically does not do much unless you are talking about coldwater rescue or avy rescue.

New cpr system is at least easier for most to remember than the older ones. Now if they would stop changing it every few years it would cause less confusion, but as they say, 'bad cpr is better than no cpr'.

 

[billb3]

Too many years ago.

Helped someone about 25 years ago choking on a poorly chewed hunk of bread. Did the abdominal thrust, artificial respiration is supposed to be better. Mostly instinct. Amazing how far someone can hack a wad of bread.

 

[TreePapa]

Wen't through the whole "Advanced First Aid" training, but that was about 30 yrs ago. Went though a two-session CPR class, company sponsored (last job, not this one), at least 10 years ago. Guess it's time to go again.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[colebrookman]

Wen't through the whole "Advanced First Aid" training, but that was about 30 yrs ago. Went though a two-session CPR class, company sponsored (last job, not this one), at least 10 years ago. Guess it's time to go again.

Peace,
- Sequoia

For the many forum members who wish to learn or review the latest up to date techniques but can't find a local class try this; www.cpranytime.org put out by the AHA. You and your family and friends can all learn CPR in the comfort of your home and as a bonus if you suffer a cardiac event your friends will know how to save you. Be safe.
Ed

 

[maraging]

I had some sort of certificate years ago but that expired. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it now. I remember in one of my classes they told us if someone was having a heart attack to have them cough really hard. I just saw on t.v. the other day that that is the wrong thing to do. So im not sure the people teaching my classes new what they were talking about.

 

[Battenkiller]

Yes, had to take the training in order to get my NYS fishing guide license. Although I wonder how many months I can keep it up while I'm waiting for someone to stumble across me when I'm administering it to a client five miles up a remote trout stream.

I've read that it almost never works unless you also have a defibrillator nearby (less that 3% success or something like that). Anyone hear if that's true or not?

 

[colebrookman]

If the victim is in VTach or VFib an AED is needed usually to convert the heart rythm. That's why CPR can at least slow heart damage until the AED can be applied. In your situation why not just buy an AED as part of doing business. People today are becoming more aware of the importance of early CPR/AED application and it would enhance your professionalism. Be safe.
Ed

 

[firefighterjake]

I had some sort of certificate years ago but that expired. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it now. I remember in one of my classes they told us if someone was having a heart attack to have them cough really hard. I just saw on t.v. the other day that that is the wrong thing to do. So im not sure the people teaching my classes new what they were talking about.

"Cough CPR" is something that may or may not be done in the hospital . . . it's kind of a misnomer . . . my sister (cardiac tech) has used this technique on a few patients who have been under conscious sedation . . . generally they have to be cued when to cough and it has to be a vigorous cough . . . of course they also use meds and other means to re-establish a better heart rhythm . . .

So to sum up . . . there is such a thing, but it is not practical or all that useful in the "real world" . . . much better to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and call 911 as early as possible . . . important since a good number of folks tend to deny their symptoms may be a heart attack and often delay calling 911 . . . and many folks do not recognize warning signs other than the classic crushing chest pain . . . i.e. women often tend to have more subdued signs/symptoms of weakness, dizziness, short of breath vs. the overly sweaty guy clutching his chest.

 

[firefighterjake]

Yes, had to take the training in order to get my NYS fishing guide license. Although I wonder how many months I can keep it up while I'm waiting for someone to stumble across me when I'm administering it to a client five miles up a remote trout stream.

I've read that it almost never works unless you also have a defibrillator nearby (less that 3% success or something like that). Anyone hear if that's true or not?

CPR is typically a last ditch effort . . . I mean let's face it . . . your chances of saving that 289 pound, chain-smoking, hamburger-and-fries daily diet guy who defines exercise as getting off the couch to get another bowl of ice cream is pretty slim.

And you're almost right . . . successful out of hospital resuscitation is less than 5% . . . defibrillators increase the survival odds . . . but even in a hospital the odds aren't all that much better believe it or not. CPR alone generally isn't going to bring a person back from "the light" -- usually the person needs their heart rhythm converted from a bad rhythm (going too fast for example or going all wonky and not beating as a coordinated muscle) to a good rhythm and the best tool to do this is a defibrillator. What CPR does however is put the person on life support . . . you're circulating oxygen-enriched blood throughout the body (i.e. chest compressions) and of course to the body's organs and the brain . . . which gives the person a chance of being resuscitated.

So why bother requiring CPR? I get asked this question occasionally . . . The answer 1) For the 5% of people or so who are successfully resusciated . . . many of these folks truly appreciate the second chance at life. 2) Because in some cases administering CPR can be a bit more successful -- i.e. cold water drownings. 3) Because CPR classes also teach a few other components which really can make an important difference in saving a life -- i.e. the "Heimlich" Manuever which has saved thousands of people and being taught to recognize the signs/symptoms of a heart attack in another person so you can intervene and get help for that person before they go into full blown cardiac arrest.

 

[OldDedHed]

Have done CPR long enough to remember the taste of victim vomit in my mouth. Thank God for universal precautions now. The save rate for cardiac arrest has never risen above 2% in any study I've ever seen, except maybe Eisenberg's lala land. And that's with the complete ACLS recipe being followed, not just the old pump and blow. Course it's been awhile since I paid that much attention to statistics so maybe it's better now. Either way that 2% makes any effort worth it.

Hey Jake, How's Chief Cammack doing these days? Went through the state academy with him, Ritchie Palmer, John Ness, etc back in the day. What a crew.......