Saving a Life

This girl is certified. 

There are lots of reasons I decided to take a CPR/First Aid course last Thursday.  For one, I hadn't taken one since I was young, and I knew things had changed.  Although you can read about it online, it's nice to see in person and actually try the skills out (I didn't think D would appreciate me using him). 

So I signed up for a class with CPR Resources.  I really enjoyed my instructor, and he kept it entertaining.  Although I did feel like I knew (but hadn't thought about for many years) most of it, the suggested procedure has actually changed within the last few years. 

I thought I would share a little of what I learned.  So, basically, even if you don't ever want to take a class, maybe this will help you.  Plus, then I can keep a record of it to look at later.

Main change is that all ages have the same steps:

First check for responsiveness and breathing - If both of these are no, then continue with CPR after you have moved them to the ground

30 compressions, 2 breaths, repeat 5 times = approximately 2 minutes 

Check again - repeat until you can't anymore, help comes, or they respond

There is the great iPhone app that's free called Hands-Only CPR.  It gives you a quick dial to 911 as well as a video if you ever need to know what to do.  

 Tell's you where to place your hands and gives you a metronome to push to.  

If you don't have have a phone to do so, just remember the song, "Staying Alive".  It should be about 100 beats every 2 minutes. 

Also, do you feel gross about touching mouths to a complete stranger????  If the answer is yes, then you are an awful person.  No, just kidding.  They say you are better to just keep pushing until a first aid kit comes with a face shield OR help comes.  OR look how great this is.  You can carry around this little pouch on your key chain and have it just in case.  I really want to get one, because really, you just never know. Amazing things happen - check out this story.

B