Important Things to Know about the Human Heart

The heart is one of the vital organs in the human body. It holds a number of key processes that sustain life to all body parts. Without the heart, there will be no means to circulate blood throughout the body. These and more explain why it is very important for anyone to take care of his heart.

As part of the body’s circulatory system, the heart primarily works by pumping blood through the blood vessels in repetitive and rhythmic contractions. It pumps involuntarily at a typical rate of 72 beats per minute. This vital organ is basically a tube or small sac that pumps fluid containing water and nutrients like sugar, protein, and fat. Its main components include the cardiac muscle and connective tissue. It has a complex structure designed to take charge of the in and out flows of blood through cardiovascular vessels. The average human heart weighs at a range of 300-350 grams for men and up to 250-300 grams for women. In most cases, the heart of a person – men and women alike – has the same size with his own fist.

The heart is located at the front of the vertebral column and next to the sternum. It is covered by the pericardium, which is a double-walled sac. Among the main purposes of this covering is to protect the heart and its surrounding structures, and to prevent the overflow of blood to the heart as well. There are three layers in the outer wall of the human heart. From the outer to the inner layer, these layers are the epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium. Moreover, the heart has four chambers, which are composed of two inferior ventricles and two superior atria. Each of these chambers has its own specific function that contributes to the overall operation of the heart.

One of the most common heart problems today is cardiac arrest, which is also among the deadliest medical conditions for adults. Cardiac arrest is basically characterized by malfunctioning of the heart and that it can no longer pump blood to different parts of the body. It is not technically the same with heart attack, which is scientifically termed as myocardial infarction. However, a person who gets caught by any of these deadly heart conditions can be saved by cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR. This immediate remedy can be applied by an untrained CPR professional if and only if there is no way to bring the patient to a hospital or if there is no other person that is knowledgeable enough to apply CPR. The least requirement of an appropriate CPR procedure is the chest compression, each at 5cm deep and rated at 100 compressions per minute. You can find out more about this important medical procedure by attending a CPR training course in a reputable emergency health training center like Citywide. The professionals conducting both basic and advanced CPT training lessons in Citywide are all accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA).

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check out website.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest: What You Can Do to Help a Sufferer of It

In a recent statistical survey, it was revealed that sudden cardiac arrest or SCA is much attributed to as much as 325,000 deaths in the US per year. This simply means that SCA can cause the death of almost 1,000 people a day or 1 person in every two minutes. The said survey also stated that people suffering from a heart disorder such as congestive heart failure and those that have a history of heart attack are vulnerable to life-threatening form of cardiac arrest. It was then found out that more or less 95 percent of SCA victims lose their lives before they reach a medical facility or acquire any source of immediate remedy. With that said, it is very important for any person to have at least some knowledge on what to do whenever someone with them suddenly experiences cardiac arrest.

You are probably familiar with the first aid procedure called CPR, which is usually done on people caught by cardiac arrest and other forms of sudden heart failure. Basically, cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is applied to manually pump oxygenated blood to the brain, lungs, and other vital parts of the body when the heart stops beating. This must be done to prevent, or at least delay, the death of the brain cells that leads to permanent brain damage and death. In most cases, a CPR procedure for a non-CPR-expert individual should merely involve chest compression, which is typically rated at above 100 5-cm deep compressions per minute. It is also very important to apply it immediately to a sudden cardiac arrest victim, even though you are not sure if you can do it perfectly. As long as you do it reasonably and there is no other way to obtain immediate assistance, you have to bear in mind that it is much better to apply an imperfect CPR than to do nothing at all.

Although sudden cardiac arrest and heart attack have similar form of threat to a person’s life, these two heart disorders are technically different from each other. SCA is a heart malfunction caused by ventricular fibrillation wherein the heart is no longer capable of pumping blood throughout the body. On the other hand, heart attack is scientifically called as myocardial infraction. This heart condition is typically takes place when there is a blockage in a blood vessel that interrupts the blood flow to and from the heart. As a result, an infarct or area of dead heart muscle will occur. In any of these forms of sudden heart disorder, CPR has been considered as the most effective means of increasing the chance of the victim to survive the situation. The type of CPR that will provide the utmost remedy to the problem varies, however.

Currently, the American Heart Association (AHA) conducts CPR training to more than 12 million in a number of training centers for safety and emergency medicine. Among these centers is Citywide, an Illinois-based company composed of AHA-accredited professionals for CPR training and other life-saving courses.

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check our website.

Important Facts about CPR for Untrained People

As seen on TV and movies, CPR can be applied to help a person survive from his sudden collapse due to cardiac arrest and other conditions alike. It has been a fact, however, that many people nowadays have developed several misconceptions on the purpose and steps of applying CPR to a cardiac arrest victim. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), there are only about 92 percent of CPR applications are successful enough to save the life of the out-of-hospital subject. The remaining eight percent are the failed ones due to improper or delayed CPR procedures.

Both CPR experts and ordinary people are advised to apply this immediate remedy for a person caught by cardiac arrest while in a public place or any area other than a medical center. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is basically described as an emergency procedure intended to manually preserve intact function of the victim’s brain until such time that he regains return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). In Canada, the national Red Cross estimates that only 1 out of 7 people know how to perform CPR outside a medical facility. Still, it has been generally recommended that immediate application of CPR, whether it is perfectly done or not, is a main option whenever such emergency situation takes place. For non-expert and untrained rescuers, it is advised to rescue a cardiac victim by performing chest compression only. The standard chest compressions are done at least 5cm deep with a rate of at least 100 pumps per minute. In this way, there is a high chance that the death of brain tissues will be delayed while there is a partial restoration of the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain, heart, lungs, and other vital organs.

In 2009, the American Heart Association started training at least 12 million people a year on the fundamentals of CPR. Aside from chest compression, these trainees are also taught to apply artificial breath to the cardiac arrest victim in order to further increase his chance to survive. This is basically done either by exhaling into the victim’s mouth or by using a device to create artificial circulation with the help of manual pumping of blood to and from the heart. Before the end of the CPR training, each participant is required to fully understand the concept of CPR and be able to distinguish the facts and myths about this first aid procedure. They are also molded to become responsible enough to perform CPR reasonably and prudently in order to maximize the chance of the victim to survive. If you want to be trained by a prominent AHA instructor for CPR, you have to look for an acclaimed training center within your area that is in line with this specialization.

One of the renowned providers of AHA-accredited CPR training courses is Citywide CPR. As the national training center for the AHA, and also for Emergency Care & Safety Institute and other related organizations, this company also provides advanced certification for ACLS, BLS, and PALS.

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check our website.

Knowing More About Online CPR Training for Teachers

Teachers are considered as second mothers of children while in school. They are the ones who are mainly in-charge on the welfare of the children while they are studying. For this reason, it is important that the teachers are well-prepared of the different emergency measures. Its importance is that it can help them handle certain situations that need immediate attention. One example of emergency measures that teachers need to learn is cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR. This lifesaving technique is mostly used in situations such as sudden cardiac arrest.

Before anyone can perform CPR, they need certification that they have passed a particular training for it. There are a number of ways for teachers to be able to get a certification for CPR. One is through online CPR training. Through this online CPR class, they can get the certification as soon as possible, which is usually a day. Prior to joining any online CPR training, you need to know more about this.

One of the things you have to know is whether the website has an accredited CPR program. When you go for a CPR training provider that is accredited by different governing agencies, it would be recognized by your employer. You need to be very careful in selecting your online class since there are a lot of websites that offer CPR certification for educators, teachers, and coaches. In order for you to know that a website offers accredited training is that it is recognized by the American Heart Association, a non-profit organization that deals with providing appropriate cardiac care.

Another thing that you have to know is the types of certification that you would be able to get in online classes. You should know the different types of certification being offered so as to get the right training for you. Some of the certifications offered are for teachers, healthcare professionals, childcare providers, and even tattoo artists. In general, teachers, educators, and coaches undergo only basic CPR training.

With an online CPR class, you would be able to get your certification in a single afternoon. There are also other websites that allows multi-computer log-in for a matter of 30 days during your online certification training. After you have received your certification, you can print it from any computer immediately.

During your training, you would receive online texts as well as computer-based training videos. Your exams can also be completed online. One great thing about this online-based CPR classes is that it won’t require you to do hands-on skills training on a CPR dummy just to get the certification.

If you are looking for reliable provider of CPR classes whether online or onsite, one of the names to trust is Citywide CPR. Based in Chicagoland/Metropolitan Area, Citywide CPR does not just provide classes for cardiopulmonary resuscitation but also in other lifesaving techniques such as BLS, ACLS, PALS, and first aid. It is also recognized by the American Heart Association.

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check our website.

Three Things to Remember Before Attending First Aid and CPR Training

Being prepared for whatever situations it may be is something that is needed by all people, most especially when it comes to emergency medical situations. Knowing the things done in case a person suffers from a sudden cardiac arrest is very valuable for the survival of the victim. Based on several studies made by different agencies, the survival rate of a person from cardiac arrest is reduced by at least seven to ten percent in every minute that no emergency procedures are performed. In these kinds of situations, the emergency measures that need to be learned are first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation or (CPR).

Attending different training is a good way to get educated on the proper measures done for first aid and CPR. Before attending CPR training, there are a number of things that must be attended to.

The first thing is to confirm the CPR training details. This is very important especially since there are times that multiple course offerings in different times and locations are provided to accommodate professionals and ordinary individuals. Knowing the exact details of the training would not cause a person the possibility of missing the start date, which entails two consequences. The entire training session could be postponed or it might cost a person some amount of money especially with the nonrefundable course fee. If possible, a person must have a hard copy of the entire course details.

The second thing is to read the entire CPR training guidelines, from course objectives to expectations. The importance of this one is that it helps a person be focused during the entire duration of the training. Those seeking for certification should take note of this one since there are courses that requires written exams as well as analyzed hands-on demonstration. Reading the guidelines would also help a person know the materials necessary for the training such as index cards.

The third thing is learning the background information. Knowing the basic information and skills are needed since there are certain topics given during the training that are not being explained thoroughly. One of the things that a person can do regarding it is familiarizing with anatomy and physiology. This would give a person the ability to do the different first aid and CPR steps instinctual.

In doing so, you’d get to learn the basic skills required to be able to act calmly and handling one’s self without panicking.

In line with these things to remember before attending a CPR and first aid class, one of the best providers of training courses is Citywide CPR. The company serves as the national training site for the American Heart Association, Emergency Care and Safety Institute, and American Safety and Health Institute. Originally based in Chicagoland/Metropolitan area, Citywide CPR can be located in various locations across United States. Aside from their CPR and first aid classes, Citywide CPR also offers training for BLS, PALS, ACLS, and AED.

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check our website.

Avoid Further Incidences of Cardiac Arrest Death with Proper AED Program Management

Emergency medical situations can happen anytime and anywhere. When such scenarios happen, it is important that the people around are knowledgeable about the things that can be done to help the victim in surviving. One of the emergency medical situations that require a person to be very knowledgeable about is when sudden cardiac arrest happens. SCA is the stoppage of the normal blood circulation by a person and this is due to the failure of the heart to contract effectively.

Most SCA situations are caused by abnormal heart rhythms known as arrhythmias. One of the most common arrhythmia is called ventricular fibrillation. In ventricular fibrillation, the electrical impulses of the heart become chaotic and ineffective. When this happens, the blood flowing in the brain suddenly stops and this would be followed by a person collapsing and losing his consciousness.

In case that a person suffers from SCA, one of the emergency measures that can be done is through the use of automated external defibrillator or AED. It is important that this is provided to a person as soon as the situation occurred, since any minute wasted without AED would reduce the likelihood of survival by at least seven to ten percent. In line with this, authorities wants different establishments, whether private or public, to establish an AED program management so as to increase the survival rate of victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Among the authorities who want proper AED program management is the American Heart Association, which also released a data stating that at least 250,000 Americans died of SCA before reaching the hospital.

In order to have a successful implementation of an AED program, there must be a reliable AED medical oversight, which is a licensed medical professional that looks at the entire program. Among the functions of an AED medical oversight are overseeing medical control, program development, and implementation.

Aside from making a directive that all establishments have proper AED programs, AHA also provides Heartsaver AED Courses for those who want to be really knowledgeable about its usage. The importance of this training is that a person would be able to learn how to properly respond in using AED. Speaking of the courses provided by AHA, it is a combination of hands-on and scenario-based AED instructions together with adult CPR trainings.

According to AHA, there are at least four key elements for a successful AED program. The first element is that there is a medical professional handling of the entire program. The second element is notifying the emergency medical services agency. The third and fourth elements are selecting, placing and maintaining AEDs, and training respectively.

For companies looking for a good provider of AED programs, one name to trust is Citywide CPR, Inc. The company serves as a national training site of the AHA and other related agencies. Citywide CPR is based in Chicagoland/Metropolitan area but it can be located in several locations across the United States.

For more information about AED medical oversight and AED program management, please visit our website.

Importance of CPR Training

Emergency medical situations will happen at the time when you least don’t expect it. For that reason, it is extremely important to be prepared when such situations occur. Nothing beats the feeling of saving the life of a person especially if it is someone you don’t know.

One of the emergency techniques that you need to learn is cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR. This is a lifesaving technique that is performed to manually preserve the brain function of a person until further measures are performed to restore the blood circulation and breathing. CPR is mostly done to people who suffered sudden cardiac arrest or near drowning.

In performing this lifesaving measure, there are a lot of things that must be learned and attending CPR training is not a bad idea. Through a CPR training, you would be taught with the proper hand positions during chest compressions and the rate of performing it. The proper way of rescue breathing would also be taught during the training. In line with this you would be able to learn the correct positioning of the head’s victim along with the right way of sealing the victim’s mouth with yours. There are a lot of intricacies involved in doing CPR that’s why you should be attending classes regarding the proper performance of it.

CPR training should be attended by almost anyone who is not in the medical field. For example, those in the health and fitness industry should be going to CPR classes to help them gain knowledge about this lifesaving measures. The knowledge that they would be getting from CPR training could be used in the workplace or just in the community.

In the workplace, there will be situations when those skills would be needed the most, like when a member of a fitness center collapses. Responding to the victim immediately after the incident happened would be very crucial in his chances of surviving. Waiting for the emergency medical system to arrive could cost the life of the victim. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA), the chances of survival of a person would be reduced by seven to 10 percent every minute that immediate CPR is not performed.

Being trained in CPR is such a valuable learning that could make a difference in whether a person would live further or just succumb with cardiac arrest. In line with this, you should be able to get trained in a facility where it is certified and regulated by concerned agencies. Your choice of a CPR class provider is one thing that you should be careful with.

A really good provider of CPR classes is Citywide CPR, Inc. This is a national training site for the American Heart Association, Emergency Care and Safety Institute, and American Safety and Health Institute. Based in Chicagoland/Metropolitan Area, Citywide CPR is located in numerous locations across the United States. Aside from its CPR classes, the company also offers trainings for BLS, ACLS, PALS, First Aid and AED.

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check our website.

Importance of AED Programs in the Workplace

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) was formed in 1971 with a mission of assuring safe as well as healthful working conditions for men and women through creation and enforcement of different standards. OHSA would also be providing training, outreach, education, and assistance in order to fulfill their mission. This agency is under the United States Department of Labor.

Among the things that OHSA takes care of is the placement of automated external defibrillators (AED) in the workplace. AED is a very important tool in saving the life of a person especially in situations such as sudden cardiac arrest. According to different studies, the chances of survival by a victim from sudden cardiac death decreases by at least seven to ten percent in every minute that there is no defibrillation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed. The importance of this AED is very high since it provides an electric shock to the body when CPR does not succeed. The ventricular fibrillation of a person would be restored to its normal rhythm if it is treated promptly with an AED. Up to 60 percent of the normal rhythm would be restored in using AED.

Due to the great importance of this portable electronic device among people, OHSA provides different programs as well as information with regards to the proper AED program management by AED medical oversight. An AED medical oversight is a licensed professional that administers an AED program.

In order to have a successful AED program management, there are four key elements with regards to it. The first element would be having a medical professional to oversee the program itself and also quality improvement. The second element would be notifying the local emergency medical services (EMS) agency. The third and fourth element are selecting, placing and maintaining AEDs, and training.

AED programs are of great importance in the workplace since the chance of survival of a person increases. There are EMS systems that would take care of responding during medical emergencies but they too experience delays due to heavy traffic, secured buildings, large complexes, and even high rises. The average response of these EMS systems is about 10 to 12 minutes which makes it difficult for them to arrive at the first three to five minutes since the emergency occurred. Great success in defibrillation happens in the first five minutes.

Large businesses and even public facilities are being encouraged to establish their own AED programs. Through an AED program, employees of a particular company would be better prepared in saving the life of their co-worker. The main goal why AED program must be created in a company is to deliver defibrillation within the first five minutes of the incident. Before a company can purchase for an AED, they need to have a prescription of a physician and they must also follow the training requirements of the state they are in.

One good provider of AED medical oversight and AED program management is Citywide CPR, Inc. The company is based in Chicagoland/Metropolitan Area and can be found in numerous locations across United States.

For more information about AED medical oversight and AED program management, please visit our website.

Importance of AED Program Management and Medical Oversight

When someone suffered from cardiac arrest, especially when it happens outside of the community, it is important that the necessary emergency procedures are done to keep the victim alive. One of the measures to be done is cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR. In the performance of CPR, there are times that a defibrillator is used. A defibrillator provides electrical energy to the affected heart. To make sure that the defibrillator can be used outside of the hospital, the automated external defibrillator was created. This portable electronic device reestablishes an effective rhythm to the heart.

Availability of AED in any area is very crucial in saving the lives of the people. According to the statistics of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) in 2001 and 2002, there were almost 7,000 workplace fatalities wherein more than 1,200 were caused by heart attack, 354 from electric shock, and almost 270 from asphyxia. OHSA said that up to 60 percent of the figures mentioned would have been saved if there were availability of AED in the place of incident. This government agency also mentioned that a person’s chance in surviving from a sudden cardiac arrest diminishes by up to 10 percent in every minute that there is no emergency measures taken.

Having an AED in the offices, schools, or any other places where the public is high in number is extremely important. In line with this, it is important that there is proper AED program management. Those institutions with this portable electronic device must also check their AED medical oversight programs and make proper assessments regarding it. In assessing the AED medical oversight, some of the questions to be asked are: Are they satisfied with the quality of the program? and Would they use the program for their own AED units? When there is a right AED program management on hand, it helps companies with this device to have reduced legal exposure.

There are a number of legislated federal laws in the United States concerning the use of AED. Some of the titles of the laws passed are Liability Regarding Emergency Use of Automated External Defibrillators, Recommendations and Guidelines Regarding Automated External Defibrillators for Federal Buildings, Public Access Defibrillation Demonstration Projects, and Recommendations and Guidelines Regarding Automated External Defibrillators for Federal Buildings. Following those laws would certainly provide better services to the people inside a company and school among others.

One company that would help with regards to proper program management of AED is Citywide CPR Inc. The company is based in Chicagoland/Metropolitan Area and is also a provider of trainings in CPR, BLS, ACLS, PALS, and First Aid. With regards to the company’s medical oversight direction service, Citywide CPR would help their clients have total compliance with the law to protect them from any potential lawsuits. Citywide CPR has a licensed physician to assist them and also to ensure that quality service is only provided. The company is based in numerous locations across United States.

For more information about AED medical oversight and AED program management, please visit our website.

CPR for Trained and Untrained

Emergency medical situations will happen anytime and anywhere that’s why it is important to be prepared when this kind of situation happens. One of the lifesaving techniques used during these kinds of situation is cardiopulmonary situation or CPR. This technique is commonly used to a person who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest or to someone who was nearly drowned. It is done to revive the breathing or beating of the heart of a person. The importance of CPR is very significant to any individuals that’s why having a proper training for this one is just necessary. Undergoing a CPR training would be the most ideal thing to do.

In CPR training, a person would be taught on the procedures before starting this lifesaving technique. Before performing it, a person must check if the person is conscious or unconscious. If the person is unconscious, a person must tap or shake the shoulder of the victim before asking loudly: “Are you OK?” In case that there is no response, calling 911 must now be done and then the CPR. When there is an automated external defibrillator available, delivering one shock to the victim can be performed before proceeding to CPR.

During CPR training, trainees are taught to use the acronym CAB in performing the steps in CPR. It stands for Circulation, Airway, and Breathing. For the letter C, it would be restoring the blood circulation of a person through chest compressions; the A would be clearing the airway; and B would be breathing for the person. By remembering those three letters, a person would be able to know the order in performing the steps.

Those who are unfortunate not to have undergone a CPR training, the American Heart Association or AHA has an advice for them when the performance of the lifesaving technique is unavoidable. Untrained individuals can provide hands-only CPR, meaning uninterrupted chest compressions. The required rate for this one is 100 per minute. Hands-only CPR must be done until the paramedics or the medical people arrive. Rescue breathing is not advised in this one. Individuals, on the other hand, who have undergone CPR training but are not confident about their abilities, can only perform chest compressions at the same rate as those with untrained one.

It is very essential that in these kinds of situation, a person has an open mind and would not be panicking.

Getting a training for CPR must come from a reliable company in this industry. A reliable training provider would be Citywide CPR Inc. Based in Chicagoland/Metropolitan Area, Citywide CPR has been providing CPR classes for more than 20 years in numerous locations across United States. Citywide CPR serves as a national training site for AHA, Emergency Care and Safety Institute, and American Safety and Health Institute. Aside from providing trainings for CPR, the company is also offering classes for basic life support, advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support, first aid, automated external defibrillator, and occupational safety and health administration.

If you are interested in CPR training, please take a look to check our website.