Unless your state mandates annual training, there are some providers that may adjust the certification cycle between one or two years depending on your preference or requirement. Studies indicate that if CPR is not used or reviewed every 13 weeks (give or take), vital information and the confidence to respond to a crisis is greatly diminished.*

The point is even once a year is too long between certifications, thus frequent review of the material becomes more critical. ProTrainings.com is one provider that offers weekly video refreshers by email after certification to ensure better results and more confidence regardless of the certification timeline. Employers now have the best of both worlds, frequent review with a longer time between certifications.

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• September 23, 2011 -- Santa Cruz student suffers Cardiac Arrest in PE Class

The students were jogging when the incident happened.  It was shortly after they had begun when the student fell to the ground.  Fellow students called out for the teacher, Bassel Faltas, who ran about 100 yards to the scene.  He also called 911 from his cell phone on the way.  By the time he reached the boy, he was still breathing, but later stopped.  The teacher began CPR before the paramedics arrived.

The student was taken to Dominican Hospital, and flown from there to Sanford University Medical Center, where he remains hospitalized.

The school has offered counseling to the students to discuss any of their concerns.

Things like this really reinforce the importance of students learning CPR in high school.

-via

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Lee Staudacher, a 69-year-old from Bay City, Michigan, was enjoying the game when his heart suddenly stopped.  There was a dentist nearby that started CPR while others contacted emergency services.  The CPR was prompt, increasing his chances of survival greatly, and there was an on-site AED (Automated External Defibrillator) that was also put to use.

His family stayed nearby and watched while they shocked him with the paddles, and the prompt CPR was a key component in saving his life.  The medical team took him to the University of Michigan Health System’s Cardiovascular Center for treatment.  He didn’t miss the end of the game, as he was able to watch part of the fourth quarter while in an intensive care unit bed.

He’s a Notre Dame fan, but had a great time watching the game between these two old rivals, even though Michigan pulled off a 35-31 victory.  He wants to put the focus on the knowledge of CPR and the quick access of the AED that saved his life, however.

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Where the numbers were rather shocking is in the ten percent of patients who had also received bystander CPR and were candidates for defibrilation.  Longer CPR actually decreased the odds of survival.

The study, which was published in the September 1 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that there is no reason to do two minutes of CPR or to delay defibrillation.  It doesn’t change anything for bystander CPR, however, so the message to the public is still the same.  Bystanders should start CPR right away, this trial does not address how helpful CPR is when delivered by a bystander at the scene.

Getting to the defibrillator sooner is more helpful for cardiac arrest patients.

-via Healthday

Order an AED Today

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A Kuranda woman jumped into floodwaters to rescue a drowning dog then gave it mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to bring it back to life. Petra Lovey yesterday told how she jumped into the Barron River after seeing Jerzy the border collie-cross dive into the swollen waters and get swept under a bridge.

“The last thing I saw were her eyes looking at me as she was swept under the old wooden bridge,” Ms Lovey said. “The Barron River flows like a torrent so it didn’t take much for her to be sucked under the bridge.”

Clare Hensley, who was walking Jerzy, feared the worst but Ms Lovey was determined to save the dog. “Jerzy was fighting it – she was completely submerged and she would have been submerged for about two minutes,” Ms Lovey said. “I knew she would come through the other side but it was a matter of trying to spot her as she came through. I saw a little speck of black in the water so I jumped in, everyone was screaming out to me that she was gone, but I wasn’t going to give up. Somehow I found her body and grabbed her.”

Jerzy was lifeless when Ms Lovey and Ms Hensley got her out of the water. “Clare started to perform CPR but was unsure how to do it properly on a dog so I took over,” Ms Lovey said. “Jerzy was flat – she was gone. But after a few compressions somehow there were signs of life.”

Read the rest of the story

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We’re going to be working on updating the videos on our websites as soon as possible, but while you wait, allow us to take you through some of the main points.

Firstly, there is a switch in the order of operations when you begin the CPR process.  Instead of starting with airway, then breathing and finally compressions, we’re going to start with compressions first.  This is based, in part, on the new Hands-Only CPR initiative of 2008.  After that you start on airway and breathing.  It’s a simple switch from A-B-C to C-A-B.

The only time that you would continue to use A-B-C, however, is with a newborn baby.  The change effects infant CPR, child CPR and adult CPR.  The American Heart Association explains the change:

In the A-B-C sequence chest compressions are often delayed while the responder opens the airway to give mouth-to-mouth breaths or retrieves a barrier device or other ventilation equipment. By changing the sequence to C-A-B, chest compressions will be initiated sooner and ventilation only minimally delayed until completion of the first cycle of chest compressions (30 compressions should be accomplished in approximately 18 seconds).

The American Heart Association also wants a clear focus on rescue as quickly as possible, with some major changes to the start of the rescue process.  For instance, assessment of the patient is going to be cut out of the beginning.  Look, listen and feel seem to be a thing of the past.  Take action right away.

When doing compressions, do them at least 2 inches deep and at least 100 beats per minute.  This means that going at the pace of the song Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees will get you 100 beats, but you can go a bit faster than that and you should be okay.  But don’t stop doing compressions.  Any pause can harm the patient further.  If rescue breaths are required, do them fast, and correctly, and get back to the compressions.  The chest acts as a natural billow, and pulls air in when decompressed.

According to our own Jody Marvin, the new guidelines will most likely not go into effect until June of 2011.

_Source:

_{Field JM, Hazinski MF, Sayre MR, Chameides L, Schexnayder SM, Hemphill R, Samson RA, Kattwinkel J, Berg RA, Bhanji F, Cave DM, Jauch EC, Kudenchuk PJ, Neumar RW, Peberdy MA, Perlman JM, Sinz E, Travers AH, Berg MD, Billi JE, Eigel B, Hickey RW, Kleinman ME, Link MS, Morrison LJ, O’Connor RE, Shuster M, Callaway CW, Cucchiara B, Ferguson JD, Rea TD, Vanden Hoek TL. “Part 1: executive summary: 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care.” Circulation. 2010;122(suppl 3):S640–S656.}

For more information, check out this article on About.com

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The first piece of lightning safety has to do with making sure you’re in a safe location when a storm comes in.  If you’re at an outdoor event, someone will likely have a safety plan, but you can also plan ahead by locating the nearest safe structures or locations.  Buildings that are normally occupied by or frequently used by people, that have plumbing and wiring to act as a ground.  You can also seek shelter in a car with a hard metal top and the windows all rolled up.  Not convertibles or golf carts.  And remember: do not touch the sides of the vehicle.

When you hear thunder, or see lightning, be aware of how close the lightning is to your location.  You should also begin to move people to a safe location.  I had once heard that the distance of the lightning from your location is about a mile per second between the flash and the thunder, but I learned that when I was a kid and never really questioned it or learned the actual numbers.  It turns out that it is quite different.

The flash-to-bang method is the easiest and most convenient way to estimate how far away lightning is occurring. Thunder always accompanies lightning, even though its audible range can be diminished due to background noise in the immediate environment, and its distance from the observer. To use the flash-to-bang method, count the seconds from the time the lightning is sighted to when the clap of thunder is heard. Divide this number by five to obtain how far away (in miles) the lightning is occurring. For example, if an individual counts 15 seconds between seeing the flash and hearing the bang, 15 divided by five equals three; therefore, the lightning flash is approximately 3 miles away.

Regardless of the distance away, figure out the relative distance to a shelter for everyone, and if necessary make alternate decisions and gather help for crowd control.  Usually there are a number of leaders that will make themselves known who will be sure that things are going smoothly.

Specific lightning-safety guidelines have been developed for the NCAA with the assistance of the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL).

* As a minimum, NSSL staff strongly recommend that by the time the monitor obtains a flash-to-bang count of 30 seconds, all individuals should have left the athletic site and reached a safe structure or location. Athletic events may need to be terminated.

* The existence of blue sky and the absence of rain are not protection from lightning. Lightning can, and does strike as far as 10 miles away from the rain shaft. It does not have to be raining for lightning to strike.

* If no safe structure or location is within a reasonable distance, find a thick grove of small trees surrounded by taller trees or a dry ditch. Assume a crouched position on the ground with only the balls of the feet touching the ground, wrap your arms around your knees and lower your head. Minimize contact with the ground, because lightning current often enters a victim through the ground rather than by a direct overhead strike. MINIMIZE YOUR BODY’S SURFACE AREA, AND MINIMIZE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND! DO NOT LIE FLAT! If unable to reach safe shelter, stay away from the tallest trees or objects (such as light poles or flag poles), metal objects (such as fences or bleachers), individual trees, standing pools or water, and open fields. Avoid being the highest object in a field. Do not take shelter under a single, tall tree.

* A person who feels his or her hair stand on end, or skin tingle, should immediately crouch, as described above.

* Avoid using the telephone, except in emergency situations. People have been struck by lightning while using a land-line telephone. A cellular phone or portable remote phone is a safe alternative to land-line phones, if the person and the antenna are located within a safe structure or location, and if all other precautions are followed.

* When considering resumption of an athletic activity, NSSL staff recommends that everyone should ideally wait at least 30 minutes after the last flash of lightning or sound of thunder before returning to the field or activity.

* People who have been struck by lightning do not carry an electrical charge. Therefore, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is safe for the responder. If possible, an injured person should be moved to a safer location before starting CPR. Lightning-strike victims who show signs of cardiac or respiratory arrest need emergency help quickly. Prompt, aggressive CPR has been highly effective for the survival of victims of lightning strikes.

-via MIAA.net – Lightning Safety

If someone is struck by lightning, here are some steps to take.

1. Go or call for help immediately, including calling 911.

2. Assess the situation.  Is the scene safe?  How many are injured?

3. Check for breathing and a heartbeat, as lightning strike victims often fall victim to cardiac arrest.

4. Administer CPR.  As noted above, people who have been struck by lightning do not carry an electrical charge.  CPR is safe for the responder and has been highly effective.

5. Treat other lightning caused injuries. Besides cardiac and respiratory arrest, other lightning-caused injuries are burns, shock, brain injury, muscular and skeletal damage, and sometimes blunt trauma including broken bones and ruptured organs. Some victims also experience nervous system disruption with loss of consciousness and amnesia. Treat all these injuries with basic first aid until help arrives. Death by lightning usually results from cardiac arrest.

-via About

Now, for a bit of levity, here is video about a woman that survived a lightning strike, thanks to CPR.

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The critical information communicated could be what helped save a 16-month old boy’s life.

The toddler who fell into his family’s swimming pool on Cordova Club Drive after apparently pushing out a screen window is still at LeBonheur, but his condition is improving.

“We don’t know how to do CPR. Please help us,” the mother said to the dispatcher Saturday.

On the other line was Sherry Thompson, a Shelby County Fire Department Dispatcher.

“Okay, we’re going to tell you how to make the baby breathe,” Thompson said.

Thompson managed to focus the mother, and tell her how to save her baby’s life.

“Put him on his back right now,” Thompson said.

“Okay, he’s on his back.”

“Put your ear to his mouth and make sure you don’t hear or feel any breath at all.”

“I don’t hear any breath!” the mother said.

“Okay, tilt his head back. Tilt his head back right now.”

The dispatcher went on to walk the mother through chest compressions. Three and a half minutes into the call a man who knew CPR stepped in.

“He was almost purple when I pulled him out of the pool,” the mother told the dispatcher.

“Has his color changed since you’ve gotten him out? Is he still purple?”

“No.”

“Okay. Okay. Tell them the keep pumping. Whatever they do, do not stop.”

Nine and half minutes into the call, the dispatcher continued her instructions.

“Where are the paramedics?” the mother asked.

“You should hear them, you should hear them. Do you hear the sirens?”

The mother told the man performing CPR to keep pumping. After ten-and-a-half agonizing minutes, hope arrived.

“They’re here, they’re taking over.”

“They’re taking over?”

“Yes.”

“God Bless you and good luck ma’am,” the dispatcher said.

“Thank you so much ma’am!”

-via WDAM

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In the study of children who had suffered cardiac arrest outside a hospital, those who received any CPR were about three times more likely to survive than those who did not get CPR.

Still, Dr. Taku Iwami of Kyoto University Health Service and colleagues found, for most children who suffer cardiac arrest, conventional CPR with rescue breathing is best – and overall, the rates of survival are still quite low, fewer than one in ten.

“The main message” from the new study, which appears in The Lancet, is that “doing something is better than doing nothing. Ideally providing compressions and rescue breathing would be best,” Dr. Michael Sayre, who was not involved in the study, told Reuters Health.

Sayre, of the Ohio State University in Columbus, is chair of the Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee for the American Heart Association (AHA).

Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart develops a rhythm disturbance that causes it to stop beating. Without prompt medical attention, cardiac arrest is fatal within minutes. CPR can help keep the victim’s blood flowing until emergency help arrives, boosting the chances of survival.

In 2008, the AHA issued updated CPR recommendations, which state that in most cases involving an adult who suffers sudden cardiac arrest, bystanders can skip mouth-to-mouth breathing and perform compression-only CPR.

Research showing that chest compressions alone are as effective, if not more so, than standard CPR in sustaining cardiac-arrest victims until emergency help arrives prompted the update. And the hope was that more people would perform CPR, when needed, if they didn’t have to do mouth-to-mouth. Hands-only CPR is also easier to teach, learn and remember than conventional CPR.

But data are lacking in children. Therefore, Iwami’s group studied 5,170 children aged 17 or younger who suffered cardiac arrest outside of a hospital. About half of the children — 47 percent — received CPR from a bystander. This confirms, Sayre said, that in Japan as in the US, “all too often no CPR is done for children or for adults.”

Of the children who did get bystander-initiated CPR, 1,551 children (30 percent) received conventional CPR and 888 (17 percent) received compression-only CPR.

Overall, children lucky enough to get any type of CPR from a passerby had nearly a threefold higher rate of a “favorable neurological outcome” – meaning little or no brain damage — than those not given CPR (4.5 percent versus 1.9 percent).

Although the success rate varied depending on whether cardiac arrest was due to a heart-related problem or another issue such as drowning, most of the cases were due to problems unrelated to the heart.

“This paper confirms that performing any form of CPR doubles or even triples the victim’s chances of survival regardless of their age,” Sayre told Reuters Health.

Nonetheless, overall, only 9 percent of children survived out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and only 3 percent had little or no brain damage.

All in all, Sayre said, this new study is “very supportive” of the current AHA recommendations. “If you see someone suddenly collapse you need to do two things — call 911 and start pushing hard and fast in the center of the victim’s chest and if they are a child it would be great if you could also do some rescue breathing,” advised Sayre.

SOURCE: The Lancet

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“Since most people carry cell phones, we designed a cell phone program that can walk people through how to perform CPR,” said lead author Raina Merchant, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa. “It is well-documented that bystanders are reluctant to perform CPR because of a lack of confidence about technique, despite the fact that bystander CPR can deliver blood to vital organs until an ambulance arrives. This has the potential to become a critical, life-saving tool.”

Researchers developed a simple audio recording that can be used by both basic cell phones and the latest, most high-tech smart phones. They evaluated the quality of CPR performed by people who are both trained and untrained in CPR. Regardless of training history, participants using the audio recording on their phone performed significantly better CPR on a manikin compared with participants without the phone.

Participants instructed by cell phone performed 100 compressions per minute, versus 44 per minute in the control group, and achieved compression depth of 41 millimeters, versus 31 millimeters in the control group (depth of compressions less than 38 millimeters is considered too shallow). Ninety-seven percent of the cell phone group demonstrated correct hand placement, versus 75 percent of the control group, and 73 percent of the cell phone group reported feeling excellent or very good about their ability to perform CPR, versus 34 percent of the control group.

“This is an exciting first step for potentially increasing bystanders’ access to real-time CPR instructions that can be used in an emergency to help those in need,” said Dr. Merchant. “These findings show that even without training, anyone can save a life with the push of a button on their cell phone.”

Annals of Emergency Medicine is the peer-reviewed scientific journal for the American College of Emergency Physicians, a national medical society. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research, and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.

SOURCE American College of Emergency Physicians

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