Considerations in Handling an AED System

When emergency strikes at the most unimaginable moments, one’s best defense is a sense of preparedness and control over where the situation would end up. This is where lifesaving countermeasures such as programs for AED is best implemented. AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator, which is a sophisticated medical device that functions as a means of analyzing a person’s heart rhythm. It informs a rescuer what procedure the victim, who has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, requires. Given that there is a person in the area who has had training on how to use the machine, the risk of the victim’s death is decreased significantly.

There are several procedures to take in order to establish a proper AED program. On the internet, everyday there are people searching for these steps in order to get their own program going. Despite this fact, however, it seems that most of them are oblivious to the more important details that need to be learnt when executing an AED program. They tend to disregard the important factors that determine whether a rescue operation ends in success or failure. What one needs to do is a thorough scrutiny of the product as well as its distributors. Here are some of the important factors to consider.

First of all, there should be an appropriate meeting with the distributors in order to tell which product is the best out of all that is available. The AED program manager at one’s workplace should take responsibility for drafting out the most important questions firsthand. A few examples of the questions are about the initial cost of the device, the cost for a replacement, the cost of upgrading and a lot more. In order to find out the most crucial information to take, there must be an extensive research about the use of the device.

One might think than an AED program is all set with the presence of an AED. However, AED devices greatly differ aside from the fact that they all deliver a shock therapy. In choosing a device, it is fairly easy to make notable differences between the different products. The aspects in which they will vary are the design, color, durability, level of support and cost. In the end though, regardless, of the look, the price and everything else, what is important is to make sure that it can effectively serve for a sudden cardiac arrest.

There is no doubt that encountering a sudden cardiac arrest is something that people want to avoid, even for those who have already trained for the situation. Obviously, the experience garnered during the training sessions will never match the pressure and the adrenaline during an actual emergency. As it involves another person’s life, it might be a hard decision whether or not one should get involved. There is the benefit, though, of saving another person’s life if it is done right. So, when everything is said and done, one should definitely implement an AED program. With it, the establishment and its people will be more confident that they can attend to such incidents prepared.

What You Need to Know About AED

It can be very easy for anyone to say that they are ready to face any emergency situation. In truth, the only time that we can check whether we are ready for such or not is when danger and emergency is already staring us at the face. Nevertheless, being ready and knowing what to do in such situations is a must. Having said that, it comes as no surprise that more and more people are actually taking the time to learn about the various ways that they can help in saving another person’s life. One of these many ways is through an AED.

AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator. In most cases, a responder makes use of the AED in order to administer electric jolts to a person suffering from cardiac arrhythmias and ventricular tachycardia. This portable electronic device typically comes with two pads, a portable electronic control, and wires that attach the pads to the system. The electronic control panel usually comes with a screen that provides the user with the needed information in order to determine whether there is a need for the electrical jolts or not. What the AED typically does is stop the heart beat in order to give it enough time to regain its normal beating pattern.

Generally, one would need to have a training in the use of AED in order to run this device properly. In most states, a 2-year AED/ CPR Certification cards are issued to those who have successfully completed a training. These trainings are typically free and are generally required as a  compliance to various state laws as well as the American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines.

People interested in securing their own AED would have to keep in mind a number of things. For one, the AED should have a voice prompt feature that can help rescuers just listen to the information being provided by the machine instead of them having to look up every now and then. One also has to keep in mind that the availability of AED for residential use is not something that is required by law, although it might prove to be  a big help. Only businesses and commercial establishments are required by state laws to have at least one (1) unit of AED available in the most convenient area. Having said that, homeowners who would like to make use of an AED need not seek a certification in order for them to operate the device. All they have to do is watch the training video that comes with the AED that they have purchased.

Of course, it also pays to keep in mind that not all cases of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) can be dealt with using AED. In some cases, CPR would do just fine.

If you need help setting up your own AED program, you can always get in touch with such institutions as the Citywide CPR as they can provide you with the needed training and program management services in order for your AED program to be a success.

The Reasons for Why It is Important to Learn about CPR

In that moment where there is a great need for an immediate first aid response, it is never a good thing to have no idea, whatsoever of how exactly to provide it. What if, in the most unfortunate of moments, everyone else in the area also does not have the knowledge for it? Basically, what will happen is everyone will just wait until the emergency squad gets to the scene. What if the emergency professionals take too long to respond? What if the victim cannot wait that long? More importantly, what if that person is on the very brink of death? These questions only make clear how important it is to know how to perform first aid procedures such as CPR.

Generally, the first thing that CPR training will teach is to avoid asking a crowd to call 911. It is important to approach a particular person to make sure that he or she will make the call as soon as possible. Otherwise, people might not have the initiative and presume that someone else will do it. More importantly, there should be someone who has taken a course about CPR that is on the premises. Here are the reasons for why it is important to take up CPR training courses.

First of all, there is no greater shame than in being useless at a time of an emergency. This is especially true when the victim is a loved one. Knowing how to perform CPR can save the life of another person. In CPR training, not only will the procedures be taught, but also the ways in which one should handle an emotional situation where they need to apply it on a friend or family member. This is important since in such critical moments, there is a possibility of freaking out and making unwise decisions. One of the most important things to remember is that it is probably not a good idea to move the injured person. It can potentially bring more harm than help. As for the second reason, CPR training also teaches how to properly assess an emergency situation. To be precise, it presents the best way to give proper commands to the other people that may be present in the area of the incident in order to handle the situation more effectively.

For the third reason, one’s own safety is also important to ensure. This is why the CPR training courses also teach its enrolees how to better measure up the area where the incident transpired for their own safety. They will impart some important things to be considered when attempting to come to someone’s rescue such as shattered glass and possible explosions. For the fourth reason, the training courses go over how defibrillators are used. These are very useful and are commonly present in public areas. Of course, they are only useful if the people in the area know how to deploy them. As for most important point to consider, when a victim becomes in need of CPR, they are pretty much dead already. This means that they cannot wait for professional help which might just take forever to arrive.

The Inherent Value of Learning Proper CPR

For most people, cardiopulmonary resuscitation is something that they know about. How can it be unfamiliar when even pop culture presents it all the time? It is very common to see movies where a damsel in distress suddenly finds herself drowning, then a guy, whom she has been dreaming about since she was eight, comes to her rescue and gives her CPR. Suddenly, the focus goes to the mere fact that their lips kissed rather than her being practically brought back from the dead. In all seriousness however, CPR is something that should be learned for very important reasons.

What makes learning CPR so crucial is the fact that proper knowledge of it gives people the chance to save lives. There is a step by step procedure that must be followed in order for the technique to be done properly. It is a good thing that CPR training courses are made available at different places. Initially, there is a need for a few compressions on the victim’s chest in which the hands will be placed at a specific area on the chest. It would then be pushed harder and harder until the victim shows some signs of life.  Next, the administrator of the CPR will do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, applying artificial breath to the victim. This helps the latter’s blood circulation improve and spreads oxygen to the body’s important organs. This buys some time until emergency professionals come to the rescue.

There is a great significance in being able to give a victim appropriate CPR. If the technique is not provided, it might cost the life of the victim. Though there is still the need to give the person professional medical attention, the short moments in which CPR is performed can help them pull through to at least make it to the hospital. There is a risk, though, of causing severe complications if CPR is not administered properly. This is why it is important for someone who has taken appropriate CPR training to take on the task.

It is not hard to find CPR training classes today. There are many certified centers and health institutions that teach the courses with the help of licensed professionals. They will cover all the important points that a person needs to go over before being CPR-certified. As a matter of fact, in accordance to what is known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, most of the CPR training centers do a revisiting of the procedures involved in the technique for those who have taken on their courses. To meet up with the demands of the people today, there are many training centers that now provide their lessons through online portals.

CPR training courses are mostly implemented with a bunch of life-saving drills. The trainees are given the chance to choose the level of first aid training though. Those who are involved in the medical field should opt for courses that go for more comprehensive training. The difference between adult and child CPR should be made clear in order to avoid any mishaps upon administering the technique.

Using Online Courses that Teach CPR

Unlike most skills, CPR is something that a person learns, hoping they would never need to use it. Perhaps it is something that they would not mind using on someone they are attracted to. However, such occurrences can still put an individual’s life in jeopardy so most people will not be eager to put it into practice.

There is no denying that knowing CPR is a great advantage for those unexpected moments where a person’s loved one may be in danger. Sometimes there is just not enough time to wait for professional assistance and one cannot just sit by hoping someone else knows CPR. In order to make sure that a person can avoid having to deal with a fatal loss, it is important they themselves learn how to do the life-saving technique. In current times, there is simply no reason not to know the basics of the procedure as CPR training courses are now offered online. They are highly beneficial too since one can learn from the comfort of their own homes.

Regardless of age, everyone can take advantage of a CPR training course. In fact, adults are not the only ones targeted by those who teach the technique. Children are now also given the chance to learn since it is deemed as early education of a life-saving method that they can use one day. For both adults and children, it is easy to get access to CPR training courses through online browsing. In the websites that offer the courses, there are sure to be tons of useful information regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

During an online training course for CPR, the participants will learn the fundamentals of the technique. These include, mouth resuscitation, chest compressions, thrusting air into the airway system, and other important steps. All of these can help them respond to an emergency properly as they wait for professional help to arrive. Most of the online training courses that are endorsed by experts implement more advanced methodologies and interactive models in order for the students to learn more efficiently. For these types of online courses, the trainee can feel as if they are handling a real-life experience. In comparison to live CPR training classes, online CPR courses have some considerable advantages to offer. First of all, the family can learn at home with each other, while going at their own pace. Second, the online courses take a maximum of five hours to complete. In that short amount of time, the whole family can be CPR-certified. Studying the CPR course will provide the family with the assurance that should an emergency arise, they will have each other’s backs.

The length at which one’s CPR-certification will be acknowledged depends on the online CPR training that is taken. It generally lasts for about one to two years. In order to renew it, an additional training needs to be done. By undertaking additional training, a person can learn how to protect themselves and their family better, making it a truly worthy thing to invest time and money in.

Preparing for the Unexpected by Learning CPR

Life is full of surprises. There is frankly no way to tell how a single day will pan out. No matter how much people tell each other to simply take care or to take heed of extra precautionary measures with their daily activities, there is always that small chance for an unexpected incident to occur. No matter who is involved or where they are, the odds of meeting an untimely accident consistently follows. Even a day that is supposed to be fun and exciting can take a disastrous turn. This is why it is important to always be ready. One should at least have a proper first aid kit at hand, and of course, they should know how to use it. Another important thing to learn is how to give CPR.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or what is commonly shortened to CPR, is a life-saving technique that is used to restart a person’s bodily functions. This is commonly used for drowning victims whom, upon reception of multiple CPR efforts, can gain back their normal breathing patterns. It can also be used with people whose hearts have stopped beating, bringing back their regular heartbeat rate in the process. The practice is done through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, as well as through chest compressions when needed. Basically, what happens between the CPR administrator and the victim is, the former breathes air into the latter all while pumping the chest area to reclaim the heart’s normal functions. Applying CPR still calls for an emergency service right after. However, its application could make the difference between life and death.

Considering how big of a help it can be, the technique is imperative for everyone to learn. Fortunately, CPR training is made available at several health institutions and centers, making it accessible to everyone. For some people, undergoing CPR training is actually mandatory. Such is the case for school staff, nursing home personnel, and others professionals who work closely with people who are affixed with health risks. It is better for people to take CPR training regardless of their career. Taking a course for it can give one the most credible assurance in case of an emergency.

Perhaps the people who most need to take CPR training courses are those who have children in their households, especially those who also have pools. Children can be hard to handle and, more often than not, will not listen no matter how many times their parents remind them to not run around the pool area or such things. They will do what they want as they see fit which can lead to a parent’s worst nightmare. Should something unimaginable transpire, it is best for the parents to be equipped with knowledge about CPR. Not only will they get to save their child’s life, they will also get to tell them “I told you so”.

Typically, a CPR training course will not even take a day to finish. In legitimate training facilities for emergency procedures, licensed instructors are likely to give a step by step run through of the CPR process with a dummy, making it fairly easy to learn.

Preventive Measures Against a Devastating Disease

Human history has been marked by the presence of devastating epidemics that claimed the lives of thousands. There was the Black Plague that swept across the entire world, leaving millions dead in its wake. The Spanish Flu that similarly spread across the known world and left a body count that is truly incomprehensible. Smallpox is another known killer that leveled civilizations of the past. The society of today may no longer possess the same killers, but it is still plagued with diseases that have piled up significant body counts as well. Heart disease is one known killer that remains today, but things such as CPR training are at the very least working to weaken its potency to some degree.

Those well-known diseases of the past were products of their time, and the same is also true for heart disease. In a society that has largely abandoned the tenets of a healthy lifestyle, it should serve as no surprise that numerous individuals have indeed been afflicted with this disease. It continues to spread within the population, but thankfully, CPR training and other preventative measures are at least working to slow down the devastating effects of this disease. It remains undeniably potent as a killer but that does not mean that people cannot act against it in some form or fashion. CPR training for instance, affords people with the type of knowledge that they can use to counter the immediate effects of a heart attack. At the very least, the people of today now have a better way to protect themselves against these diseases.

The main reason for why the heart attack is so effective at taking people’s lives is because it effectively robs people of the ability to function in even the most basic of ways. The brain, to be specific, cannot function without its supply of oxygenated blood, and it just so happens that the heart attack effectively takes that away from the entire body. Through CPR training, people are given the chance to work against the effects of the heart attack through manually displacing the oxygenated blood on their own. Any amount of oxygenated blood that reaches the brain is crucial since it can keep it going. The cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedure allows the body to be sustained long enough that it can then be cared for more effectively once the individual is taken to the hospital.

CPR training requires people to learn about the most fundamental parts of the procedure. The initial step of the procedure is all about the identification of the breathing pattern that is present in the individual. If the pattern of breathing is irregular, then the next steps of the procedure can be employed. The second step will call for downward pushes of the chest. These need to be done for about 30 times to be effective. Once that step is done with, people can then move onto rapid pumps that should rate at around 100 per minute. The final step of CPR will involve the provision of breaths to the victim.

Working Against the Woeful Effects of the Heart Attack

Heart attacks serve as very somber reminders of the fragility of life. These nearly undetectable and highly unpredictable events can rob someone of their life just as quickly they strike, and therein lies its uniquely cruel quality. It is not nearly enough for it to be undetectable and unpredictable; it also had to be very fatal. It is the exact combination that is difficult to survive for most individuals, but just as the heart attack is the perfect symbol of the fragile human life, CPR training is similarly symbolic of human resilience. It serves to show that even in the most daunting of situations that people can still work against a seemingly inevitable demise.

The need for CPR training is perfectly underlined by the sheer prevalence of heart disease. Heart disease is affecting people at record numbers, and the trends of today are doing very little to discourage its continuing rise. It has become so much easier these days to adopt an unhealthy diet, and that puts more people at risk for a heart attack. Since heart attacks again are known particularly for being very highly unpredictable, that just means that they can strike during the most inopportune of times. It is an additional reason for why heart attacks are so deadly in the first place. They strike when least expected and that leaves people woefully unprepared to really do anything about it. CPR training will at the very least put more people in the position to help. This type of knowledge and training can make the biggest difference during these very challenging situations.

The heart attack can be fatal because it deprives the brain and the body of its oxygen supply. The heart is the organ most responsible for the distribution of oxygen and if it stops to function then that just means that the oxygenated blood will also begin to stop flowing through. Through CPR training, people are given the ability to at least artificially distribute what remaining oxygenated blood does still reside within the body. The procedure itself serves to just preserve brain functions long enough for more drastic actions once the individual is taken to the hospital.

Every second counts during this time so CPR truly is very important. The administering of CPR can buy a few precious seconds of life for the stricken individual.

CPR training is all about teaching individuals the most basic steps of the procedure. The step that starts the procedure involves the identification of the breathing pattern. Should the breathing pattern be confirmed as irregular, the individual can then move on to applying pressure to the chest in the form of 30 downward pushes. These must reach a depth of about two inches. Once that step is done with, the stricken individual’s chest must then be pumped at a rate of about 100/minute. The last step of CPR will call for the administering of breath. These breaths must be applied up until the chest of the stricken individual begins to rise.

Providing Medical Assistance through the Use of Electricity

Electrical systems are routinely found in all types of structures and buildings. The electrical system allows items such as the computer and the television to work through their allotment of an electrical current that subsequently travels through wires and outlets. It is a very complex system, but at its core, it simply highlights the importance of electricity in the everyday setting. While most people only associate electricity with the lights they find in their homes, the reality is that even the human body is itself in possession of an electrical order, and just like the ones found in buildings, it too can malfunction bringing up the need for devices such as the AED.

The electrical system that the AED helps is the one possessed by the heart. This electrical system is the one responsible for actually dictating the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat. Understandably, if anything starts to go wrong with that system that also translates directly to problems starting to pop up with the heart. Simply put, if anything starts to go wrong with the electrical system of the heart that could very well result in the individual suffering from a cardiac arrest. The rhythm of the heart needs to be monitored very closely and that is where the first function of the AED is very important. It diagnoses the type of heart rhythm that is found in the individual, and if there is any irregularity with it, then that individual can address the issue immediately. The diagnosis could very well end up saving someone from having to deal with the pain of a cardiac arrest.

Unfortunately, even the diagnostic function of the AED is useless when someone is actually in the middle of a heart attack, but that opens the door for the device’s second function. Since the heart does have an electrical system, one of the things that may also repair that system is an outside current. The device can provide an external current strong enough to restore the heart back to its proper working order. The electrical jolt provided by this device can be the only difference between someone surviving long enough to make it to hospital or that same individual dying right on the spot. The electrical shock can work for a heart that is beating too fast or too slow. These functions are very helpful but they would not be as useful without the innate qualities of the automated external defibrillator.

The AED has been designed to be portable, and that means that it can be used in a variety of locations. These devices are battery-operated so they will not need the presence of an outlet to work. They are also outfitted with the ability to provide prompts for their users. These prompts serve as guides that walk an individual through the process of operating it. This quality allows the device to be used by anyone in any type of venue, and that is particularly important since heart attacks have always been unpredictable.

People who would like to know more about AED program management can always get in touch with such institutions as Citywide CPR.

The Crucial Procedure that Can Help Preserve a Life

Killers come in all shapes and sizes. They can take on the form of a bruising individual wielding a knife as it the case in so many movies of the horror genre, or they can be smaller as in the case of the viruses that infiltrate the bodies of unsuspecting people. Both types of killers are ruthlessly efficient and yet even they may still fail to match the rate at which heart diseases takes lives. This disease has been a leading killer of people for a very long time, and it becomes even more terrifying because it strikes so unexpectedly. The only form of protection against it may very well be CPR training.

One of the more unfortunate realities that come with living in this age is that it has become so much easier for people to become unhealthy. The prevalence of unhealthy food options has given people the chance to just feed on them mindlessly without ever thinking about the possible consequences. That adherence to a very unhealthy diet is what has caused cholesterol levels to soar. It has also been responsible for heart disease becoming increasingly common among the population. Instead of willfully ignoring this new reality, people can opt to become proactive through acquiring CPR training. With this type of knowledge, an individual becomes more capable of helping others who are in need. Their assistance may even be the difference between someone succumbing to the effects of a heart attack, or surviving just long enough to the point at which they can be given better care at a hospital.

In a way, CPR training is the study of a delaying tactic. A heart attack will have an effect on an individual no matter how quickly they can be helped, but at the very least, the application of CPR can at least slow down the progress of the potentially fatal effects of the heart attack. The heart attack is fatal because it stops not only the heart but the brain as well. Since the heart stops pumping oxygenated blood, that only means that the brain also stops receiving its dose of oxygen. Needless to say, that is a very deadly scenario, and a little CPR training can help address this potentially fatal situation. The brain will gain its oxygenated blood supply through CPR, and that will allow it to function even as the heart lies motionless.

CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation involves a few very simple but easy to understand steps. The first part of CPR training is about identifying breathing patterns since that is what is done in the first part of the CPR procedure. If the breathing pattern is indeed abnormal, then the next step can be taken. This next step will include a steady stream of downward pushes to the chest of the heart attack victim. These need to be applied for about 30 times and they also need to reach a depth of two inches. Rapid pumping of the chest follows this step, and the last step will involve breathing into the heart attack victim.