There’s no such thing as a person being born a hero. In most of the cases, heroism is borne out of one’s desire to overcome one’s fears and do something to change the situation. That being the case, we can, therefore, technically call people who are willing to take a risk and help save another people’s life with the use of CPR as heroes. Unfortunately, there are times when there are very few who are willing to be heroes.

In Los Angeles, officials have started an investigation on why there is a considerable amount of time before CPR is started by the bystanders. Included in the investigation is the fact that it takes time for the 911 operators to give instructions to bystanders on what to do to the victim. So what’s causing the bottleneck.

There are a number of reasons why there would be a bottleneck when it comes to the administration of CPR. One of the most common, however, is the hesitation of the bystander brought about by the lack of knowledge on how CPR should be done. Although most of us would have undergone CPR training or Basic Life Support seminar, there are only a few who actually take to heart what they have learned. Some, even if they know what to do, cannot put themselves to the task because they are not really confident in what they would be doing. It is dilemmas like these that have cause the American Heart Association to change how CPR is done.

If you are one of the few people who do not jump in and take the necessary actions in order to revive an unconscious person because of the lack of belief that you can carry out the procedure, well, fear no more. The American Heart Association has recently made some changes in the way CPR is administered.

For people who cannot be bothered with counting how many breaths or compressions need to be done as part of the resuscitation process, the change in the process would be like a breath of fresh air. This is because the new procedure now calls for more hands-on compression. What brought this about is the result of recent studies that suggested a higher survival rate among victims who had compressions immediately upon losing consciousness and absence of breathing, and whose compressions lasted until paramedics arrived or until the victim was revived. This means that, even if your CPR “skills” are rusty, there is a chance that you would still be able to save a person’s life. All you have to remember is to make at least a hundred compressions per minute. Each of these compressions should be at least 5 cm deep. Of course, you have to keep in mind that the quality of each compression is more important than the quantity. After all, your primary aim is to provide artificial circulation in order to prevent tissue necrosis especially those concerning vital organs such as the brain.

The best way to be sure that you are doing the right thing is by undergoing a CPR Training and Certification Program such as the one being provided by Citywide CPR.

Anybody can be a hero. All it takes for a person to be considered a hero is a strong sense of courage and the determination to make a difference. In today’s modern world, there are a number of heroes in our midst, albeit not readily seen by most people. Such heroes are actually just like you and me – ordinary people who made extraordinary decisions in times of stress. One such stressful moment where many have proven their heroic ability is when the person next to them suddenly falls unconscious. This is what exactly happened to Shannon Coffey, Brian Cathey and Blaine Norris.

For most people, it was one fine day in Watkinsville, GA. For four people, however, it is a day that would forever change the way Coffey, Cathey, Norris, and Karen Hemphill treat each other. It was Coffey who heard it first – a thud that signaled someone had fallen on the floor. That was when Cathey and Norris rushed in to find Karen Hemphill on the floor. With no discernible breathing from Hemphill nor any heartbeat, the trio jumped into action and started resuscitating Hemphill. Cathey took over the responsibility of calling 911 while Coffey did a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. On the other hand, Norris kept going with the chest compressions until the paramedics arrived. What’s amazing was the fact that the last time Norris had undergone training for CPR was when he was still in high school. They were actually not quite sure if they were doing the compressions right and even felt that they might have broken a few ribs. To make sure that they would really be able to save Hemphill, they had to verify with the 911 operator if they were doings correctly. At one point, Cathey even called his girlfriend who had just recently undergone a training in CPR to check if what they are doing is correct.

When the paramedics arrived, a good 14 minutes after the call, the AED was used in order to restore the heart’s beat. That was also the only time that the trio stopped what they were doing. It was reported that Hemphill’s heartbeat was already normal when she was loaded on the ambulance.

Suffice to say, the quick thinking of the trio was one of the reasons why Hemphill was able to make it through the ordeal, regardless of the broken ribs. Of course, they were only able to do that because of their background in CPR. Fortunately, in today’s world, CPR has been simpler and easier to administer. If, in the old days, you had to keep track of the number of compressions that you need to do as well as the artificial respiration that you have to administer, today, you only have to worry about the depth of the compressions that you make plus the quantity that you administer in a span of one minute.

In order to be a hero, you have to make sure that you are ready to face challenges like these. One way of doing that would be by enrolling yourself in a CPR training and certification program.

For wrestling enthusiasts, nothing can be better than spending hours after a grueling day at work just lounging in your sofa and watching the WWE RAW results. However, if you are an eagle-eyed fan, you would have noticed that something is amiss in the land of body slamming.

For one brief moment, while the match between Kane & Daniel Bryan and The Prime Time Players was being played last Monday night, you might have noticed some members of the audience as well as the production team furtively glancing, some staring, at the commentator’s booth. You might have also noticed the distinct absence of a familiar voice.What happened? WWE ringside commentator and star, Jerry Lawler, collapsed and had to be resuscitated backstage. WWE medical staff, who are always ready for such situations had to perform CPR on Lawler before he was wheeled to a Montreal medical facility.

Situations like this really highlight the importance of knowing how to perform CPR and, in some instances, how to make use of AED. In the past, there are very few people who would jump in and help during instances like these. This fear to help is primarily brought about by the fact that resuscitation then entails a complex list of steps that could result to an increased possibility of the patient dying instead of surviving. Today, however, there is very little of that fear that exists. This is because, the complicated part about helping save a person’s life has been simplified.

If, in the past, people have to remember how many breaths to administer and how many chest compressions to make per minute, saving a person’s life today entails only making around 100 chest compressions per minute. What’s more, the only thing you would have to remember is the fact that you have to make the chest compressions at least 5 cm deep in order to be effective. Aside from this, if you do not have any experience administering CPR, you only have to make sure that you continue doing chest compressions until, (1) you get tired, (2) the paramedics arrive, or (3) the victim wakes up. In the case of the latter, you still have to make sure that you bring the patient to the nearest hospital to evaluate his health status. It is also a good thing to keep in mind that, in chest compressions, you have to make sure that they are 5 cm deep and is done in the correct place in order to avoid crushing the ribs. As quality trumps quantity, you do not have to quicken the pace of administering the CPR.

For those who are still at a loss as to how a CPR should be done, there is always the use of the AED, or the Automated External Defibrillator. With this device, you would be able to help save the life of a person. Aside fro delivering the needed shock in order to jump start the heart, an AED also gives you the basic steps on how a CPR should be done.

Make yourself prepared when facing instances like these by taking CPR training and certification classes. Citywide CPR is one place where you can learn just that.

In the past, cardio pulmonary resuscitation always involved two breaths and 15 chest compression. Back then, it was believed that artificial respiration would be able to give the person a better chance at surviving since there would still be oxygen going in and out of his lungs. Recent studies, however, have proven that this is not the case.

Until last October 2010, many believe that saving the life of an unconscious person is best done if the A-B-C is followed. That means, a responder would have to do check the airway and make sure that there are no obstructions, check if the person is breathing and, if not, administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation; and then, do chest compressions. What most professionals have observed that the time lapse between the steps does have an impact on how high the chances for survival of the patient is. How is this so? What professionals have notice is that, with every minute that blood circulation is not restored, the danger for tissue necrosis increases. You have to keep in mind that once tissue necrosis sets in, the affected vital organ might not function properly even if breathing is restored. This could, later on, pose a risk to the patient’s life. You also have to remember that in a span of 6 minutes, a person’s brain can die if circulation is not restored. Bearing that observation in mind, the American Heart Association has deemed that the typical A-B-C process when it comes to saving a person’s life might just be in need of a “revamp”.

What once was an ABC is now what is known as C-A-B, Chest Compression – Airway – Breathing. In the new procedure, the focus is more on the chest compressions. Most medical professionals now recommend this process since it allows the blood to circulate which can help feed the vital organs with the needed oxygen.

Generally, paramedics and first responders would administer about 12 minutes of chest  compression to patients suffering from cardiac arrest. A recent Lancet study, however, suggests that doing chest compressions for as long as 30 minutes could actually increase the chances of the patient surviving the ordeal. In the said study, it was found out that, although most of those who were revived using chest compressions were able to do so in a short span of time, there were a few who took a longer time before a pulse was felt with most of them actually needing 30 minutes before the heart was revived and was able to pump blood on its own. One place where this can be observed is in the hospital where longer time for chest compressions are typically encouraged. Observations have shown that patients who had to undergo CPR for a far longer time did not show any neurological problem and were, in fact, mostly discharged earlier than the rest.

Regardless of the result of the study, however, most doctors and medical professionals maintain that the length of time allowed for doing the chest compression would generally depend on the kind of situation the patient is in.

Learn more about how CPR is administered by undergoing CPR training and certification. Who knows, you might just save a life.

Not many people may know it but the way sudden cardiac arrest is handled has been changed since last October 2010. Instead of the usual ABC, or Airway – Breathing – Compression, the focus now is on providing as much chest compressions as needed to the patient. This change was spearheaded by the American Heart Association.

In the past, emergency situations that involve unconscious person would mean that you have to check first if there are obstructions in the airway, try resuscitating via mouth-to-mouth, and then start with the compression. Today, however, more and more professionals are recommending the application of chest compression first, with some even recommending that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation can be skipped. What brought about these changes?

Sudden cardiac arrests have been responsible for more than 30,000 deaths per year in the US alone. One of the reasons why this number had been on the rise in the past is that most bystanders feel that administering CPR, or Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, along with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is a complex procedure to undertake what with all the counting and timing that you have to bear in mind. That being the case, professionals have decided to make the life-saving procedure simpler by having the bystanders just jump right to doing the chest compressions. This has led to more people becoming more confident in helping someone in need. This is aside from the fact that professionals have recommended that CPR can only be stopped for two reasons – if the first aider or responder is already tired or if about 2000 compressions have been done.

Furthermore, recent studies have also shown that people who were given chest compressions for about 25 minutes had 12% better chances of making through the ordeal compared to those who only had chest compressions for a few minutes. That being the case, it would seem that the longer the compressions are done, the better the chances of the person surviving.

Why is this so?

When a person suffers sudden cardiac arrest, the heart stops pumping which causes the blood circulation to stop. This can be dangerous to vital organs, including the brain, since oxygen would not reach them. In the absence of needed oxygen, tissue necrosis can occur which would lead to the patient’s death. With the application of chest compressions, the blood is able to circulate bringing needed oxygen to the organs. In rare cases, the continued compression can also cause the heart to assume its normal beat pattern. To be assured of the latter, however, the use of AED is recommended.

A person who has been revived with the use of CPR and AED, however, should still have himself checked by medical professionals in order to ascertain that no damage to the different organs has taken place. The medical professionals can also diagnose what brought about the cardiac arrest in the first place.

A warning : while many people make use of cardiac arrest and heart attack to mean the same thing, they are actually different from each other. For one, heart attack does not necessarily lead to a person losing consciousness. That being the case, not all heart attacks would require someone to administer CPR.

If you want to know how to administer CPR properly, you should consider undergoing CPR training and certification with Citywide CPR.

One of the medical situations that could come like the proverbial thief in the night is the sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is medically defined as the sudden onset of loss of heart function and breathing as well as consciousness. This usually comes about as a result of a disturbance in the normal beating pattern of the heart. Such disturbance is typically electrical in nature. Keep in mind, however, that there is a difference between a sudden cardiac arrest and a typical cardiac arrest. While both cause the heart to stop beating, cardiac arrest can take place when there is a blockage that keeps the blood flow from reaching the heart. In both cases, however, if nothing is done within the first few minutes, the possibility of the person dying grows. It is in instances like these that the timely use of CPR and AED is very crucial.

CPR, or Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, is a procedure done in order to ensure that blood flows through vital organs even after the person has suffered a heart attack. By doing so, brain functions remain intact. How is this possible? With the blood continuously circulating even after the patient has lost consciousness, needed oxygen reaches the vital organs which keeps the tissues from dying. However, by itself alone, normal heart beat patterns as well as consciousness is rarely possible. A visit to the hospital is still required even after the patient has been revived.

In the past, CPR has been done along with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Recent changes, however, in how cardiac arrest is handled suggest that the patient would have higher chances of getting through the ordeal if the responder or first aider performs chest compression alone until a paramedic arrives or until an AED can be administered to restore normal heart beat patterns.

So, how important is the timely administration of CPR and AED?

Most people think that they have a few minutes to spare when, in truth, every second could count. As soon as someone loses consciousness and is no longer breathing combined with a weak to no determinable pulse, CPR should be started. With each passing minute that blood flow is not restored, the chances of the person’s survival goes down by about 7 to 10 percent. Even if the rhythm of the heart is restored, without chest compressions and consequent blood flow, there is a probability that the patient would live but could become brain dead.

Keep in mind, however, that just about any chest compression would not suffice. A chest compression should go as deep as 5 cm and should be as often as 100 compressions in a minute. Studies have also shown that the longer the CPR is administered, the more likely the patient would be able to survive. In fact, the increase in the survival rate comes up to about 12% for those who had CPR administered to them for as long as 25 minutes.

You, too, can help save a life. Learn how to administer CPR and use an AED. Citywide CPR provides training on AED program management as well as CPR training and certification which you might want to check out.

Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone. In most cases, it comes about as a result of coronary artery atheroma. In a sudden cardiac arrest, the victim suffers an immediate loss of consciousness one hour after symptoms have taken place. Sudden Cardiac arrest can also happen even when the heart is not directly involved. This happens in the case of respiratory arrest, toxic poisoning, and anaphylaxis, among others. It is because of the severity of the nature of this medical condition that CPR should be administered as soon as a person goes into what seems to be a cardiac arrest.

CPR, or Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, is typically done in order to ensure that brain function is not affected by the cardiac arrest. In a CPR, chest compression that is about 5 cms deep each are done in the area near the chest  bone. In a minute, about 100 chest compression are needed to take place in order to simulate the flow of the blood into various organs. What this does is ensure that tissue death does not take place. CPR is usually administered to unconscious individuals who are not breathing or have abnormal breathing patterns. As opposed to what most people believe, CPR is not primarily intended to re-start the beating of the heart.

For most people, the application of CPR usually begin with checking of airway and restoration of breathing. However, recent moves have changed how emergency cases involving unconscious and not breathing patients are handled.  Whereas in the past there is a need to administer mouth-to-mouth breathing in order to aid restoration of breathing, today, the American Heart Association and the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation both agree that the mouth-to-mouth part can be skipped and the responder can just focus on chest compression.

The compression-only CPR is also known as the hands-only CPR. The recent support for the hands-only technique is brought about by the fact that the length of time spent on administering mouth-to-mouth could prove to be a disadvantage for the brain. For example, stopping for 5 seconds in order to administer mouth-to-mouth could already lead to the patient’s brain suffering from about 20% reduced blood flow. In 10 seconds, such blood flow could be completely on a standstill. With the compression-only CPR, the focus is on providing continuous compressions. The only time that the compression can be stopped is if the responder would be making use of an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) or if the responder has already performed 200 compressions. It can also be stopped if the paramedics have already arrived as they can take care of the resuscitation themselves while bringing the patient to the hospital.

In some cases where the responder is unsure whether the patient is breathing or not, many professionals recommend erring on the side of caution. That means, the responder should still administer hands-only CPR until the paramedics arrive or until the patient regains consciousness.

If you want to know more about how CPR is done, take up a CPR training and certification program under Citywide.

For most people, being faced with emergency situations can pose a challenge especially if the order of the day is to stay calm. This is definitely the case if the emergency situation consists of a man clutching his chest and having trouble breathing. For most people, such situations would cause them to run and start shouting. Others would simply watch while feeling hopeless but, at the same time, hoping and praying that a medical professional would come along to help the patient. There are, however, a handful who are brave enough to go down on their knees and make it possible for the patient to go through the emergency crisis unscathed. The courage of such people typically comes from their knowledge of how to perform a CPR as well as make use of an AED.

According to statistics, there are over 380,000 cardiac arrests that take place while the patient is outside of the hospital. Of these figure, about 88 per cent actually take place at home. If you would look at it carefully, you would notice that the numbers are quite high. That being the case, it is only right that you as well as the people around you should have a working knowledge of CPR as well as the use of AED. This is exactly what some of the residents of Bloomington just did.

Last August 23, heroic residents of Bloomington were recognized for their acts, most of which involved saving the lives of their neighbors using CPR, or Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. FireChief Mike Kimmerling concedes that there has been an increase in the number of victims surviving their situation because bystanders or family members were able to perform CPR while they were waiting for the paramedics to arrive.

Some of the noteworthy “life saves” that the Bloomington residents were able to do include the one in Charter Fitness which took place in July 8. During that time, Anna Henson, the gym’s manager, was told by a guest that a patron, Chris Carter who was only 28 years old, fell down from his chair and seems to be unconscious. Without second thought, Henson brought her AED, gloves and some towel. She then checked for signs of life and then started administering CPR as well as AED. It took only Henson about 30 seconds in order to revive Carter. By the time paramedics arrived, Carter’s condition was already stable.

When conducting CPR, responders actually compress the chest of the patient to about 5 cm deep at a rate of 100 compressions in one minute. What this does is create an artificial circulation of the blood through the heart. Doing so, in turn, ensures that oxygen is still brought to vital organs in order to avoid tissue death. As opposed to what most people believe, there are instances when CPR, by itself, can cause the heart to start beating again. In most cases, the AED, or Automated External Defibrillator, is used in order to induce the proper heart rhythm. This, however, would not work on patients who have asystole as well as pulseless electrical activity. The AED is much more suited for those who are suffering from ventricular fibrillation as well as pulseless ventricular tachycardia.

If you would like to be ready for any kind of medical emergency, you should first learn how to properly do a CPR. Citywide CPR provides CPR training and certification that can help you save lives some day.

If you happen to be an avid baseball fan, you would most probably have heard of Jim Joyce. Jim Joyce owes his infamy to the fact that his call in the 2010 game of Detroit Tigers caused Armando Galarraga to lose his claim for a perfect game. Joyce was quick to apologize to Galarraga for the incorrect call. Galarrage, on his part, did not have second thoughts when it comes to forgiving Joyce for the lapse saying that, “Nobody’s perfect”. Although this was a dark episode in Joyce’s career, it cannot be denied that he is still one of the best umpires the game has ever known.

Well, Joyce has another reason to be proud of himself.

Just recently, Jim Joyce dramatically saved the life of Jayne Powers. Jayne Powers is the Diamondbacks’ game-day employee. Joyce, along with Lance Barrett and Jim Reynolds, were on the way to their dressing room when they saw Powers having a seizure. Without second guessing himself, Joyce did everything in order to ensure that Powers’ head is protected. As soon as POwers’ body relaxed, Joyce knew something was wrong. Upon checking for pulse, he found out that Powers was not only unresponsive but did not have any pulse. That was when he started to perform CPR. For the first 5 minutes, both the CPR and the use of AED was unable to change Powers’ condition. With much perseverance, however, Joyce, with the help of the paramedics was able to restore heart beat to Powers.

Jim Joyce is not a stranger to administering CPR. He had be trained to administer the said life-saving procedure for quite some time now although there was never a recent instance wherein he was forced to use his training. This recent episode in his life is sure to put Joyce back in the limelight again; but this time, for a heroic act.

Not many people may be aware of it bit there are actually cases when cardiac arrest can lead to seizures and vice versa. The former becomes especially the case when the victim is suffering from structural cardiac diseases as well as arrhythmia. The latter, on the other hand, is very rare to happen, but the risk is still there.

There are a number of institutions that help train people when it comes to administering CPR. In most cases, trainees would be made familiar with the different signs of choking as well as cardiac arrest. They would also be taught how to administer CPR and, in some occasions, how to make use of an AED. Training centers usually conduct simulated sessions that involve adult as well as infant victim. You have to keep in mind that CPR procedure is an adult victim is very much different from a CPR procedure in an infant or child victim.

You do not have to wait for the situation to present itself before you start learning CPR. Undergo CPR Training and Certification now so that, just like Jim Joyce, you would be able to provide help when needed.

Being able to save a life can be challenging for most people. In most cases, there is always the risk of doing more harm than good especially if the responder has not undergone any training on how to administer CPR or how to make use of an AED. This is the reason why more and more countries around the world are making sure that first responders as well as ordinary citizens have access to CPR Training.

CPR Training typically teaches participants how to recognize signs and symptoms of choking as well as cardiac arrest. Participants also get to learn the proper way on how to get the heart beating again involving both adult patients as well as children.

The increase in the number of institutions providing CPR training has definitely made an impact in the number of lives saved. Take for example London. Decades ago, only 5% of those who suffered from cardiac arrest were resuscitated and brought to the hospital. Today, however, the area boasts of a 32% rate when it comes to resuscitated individuals who were discharged from the hospital. These figures include only those who had suffered heart attack, the name by which cardiac arrest is more popularly known, while they are out on the street. This does not include those who had cardiac arrest while in the hospital. The increase in the number of survivors is credited to the fact that more and more people are now aware on what needs to be done if they witness someone having a heart attack.

One fine example of just how effective knowledge in CPR is in saving someone’s life is the case of Eric Baecht. Baecht was on his way to his classes when all of sudden he lost consciousness and fell on the floor. Fortunately for him, Health Teacher Jim Porras witnessed what happened and, without losing any moment, started checking if he is responsive or not. Once done, he decided to go on and administer CPR while the other bystanders went to call the school nurse as well as 911.The school nurse, Tari Gibson, also helped Porras in administering the CPR as they waited for the paramedics to arrive.

This was also the situation that Lauren Kornacki found her self in, although she was the responder rather than the victim. The hard part is, it was her father who was the victim. What happened was her father, Alen, was busy working under his car when the jack slipped causing the car to fall on his chest. Lauren found him pinned down and unconscious. After moving the car all by herself, Lauren started administering CPR to her father. This was crucial as Alen was already without oxygen and with no heart beat for almost 5 minutes. Because of her quick thinking and knowledge of CPR, Alen is still alive, albeit suffering from a number of broken bones brought about by the car crushing his chest.

If you would like to be one of those who can offer readily help when someone around you suffers from heart attack, then you should undergo CPR Training with the help of Citywide CPR.