Friday Question #227
Have you had CPR/AED (cardiopulmonary resuscitation/automated external defibrillator) training? Would you be comfortable performing CPR on someone?
Confession! I have a whole list of Friday Questions to choose from, but sometimes I’m feeling kind of meh about them… so I let my day play out a bit and see if anything pops in to my head. Hence this question…
I took a CPR/AED certification course today. And what perfect timing! Steven told me this morning he is pretty sure he is going to have a heart attack during his leg of the relay this Sunday. Okay, that is really morbid and offensive*. I hope he feels well enough** to participate/run the course… and if not, he can walk or someone else can sub in for his spot!
*But apparently not enough for me to delete
**He got the nasty cold I had last week, only a nastier version.
Themocracy
We took an infant CPR class when I was pregnant but I lack the maturity to take things like that seriously (“SECURE THE SCENE! DO YOU LIKE MY MUSTACHE?) and thus would not feel comfortable performing any life saving measures. On anything. Not even a kitten. I will have to take CPR when I do my personal training certification and will have to go solo so that I don’t feel the urge to be witty.
Wait, is “Do you like my mustache?” code for something, or are mustachio’d lifesavers soliciting feedback?
Aww, kittens.
Oops, distracted 😉
The infant version of the training was very interesting! I would be more nervous on an infant than an adult!
I learned CPR when I went through training to be a babysitter when I was 10 or so. I don’t remember any of it. Also, I used to sit right by the office defib kit at work, so I’ve at least seen it in action (sitting by that and the security office/back door is how I found out what a disturbing number of medical emergencies seem to happen in my building!). But I’m pretty sure I watch enough medical shows that I’d be fine if I ever needed to use it.
Holy cow! How many times have you seen it in use?!
Apparently, training is a lot different than back in the day, from what I learned today! They are trying to make it easier so people aren’t so nervous about doing it!
Well I guess I haven’t observed it being used nearly as much as I’ve noticed it’s missing. At one point in time, it was gone at least once a day!
Anne’s comment reminded me that I also took a CPR/emergency response class when I was like 10 years so I could get a babysitting certificate. HAHAHAHAHA! I HATED babysitting and only did it like twice.
I think my running club is trying to organize a CPR class and I might take it then. HR used to offer one at work, too, but haven’t seen that in awhile. Seems like it would be a useful skill. I’m pretty good in emergency situations so I might be able to handle it.
Ha ha ha. I should write a post about how much I sucked at babysitting and see what kind of comments I get.
That is a great idea for the club!!! I hope it happens! 🙂
I was certified in cpr 10th grade and had to use it on someone in real life the summer before my sr year of high school. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it but i think he was already gone by the time my dad and i started. You will be surprised at how instinct takes over when you are in that situation. I thought I never could do it either but when you are actually on the situation it’s different
That is great that you tried! In the class they said your chance of saving someone that way (w/o the AED) is 1%. Scary!
I have the Hands Only CPR app on my phone in case of an emergency. You know that now you don’t have to use your mouth, and you press the person’s chest to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive”? For reals. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/HandsOnlyCPR/Hands-Only-CPR_UCM_440559_SubHomePage.jsp
That’s awesome! We were wondering how to keep track and make sure it was > 100 compressions per minute!
I done the CPR class before. I’d need someone to remind me of the timings and I’d be comfortable.
I think the new defibrillators have pretty simple instructions so I’d be game to do one of those; I think they might even talk to you (but that might have been a prototype I was reading about).
(Heck, I’d yank the power cord off a lamp and shock someone if I thought it’d work!!!)
The timing for adults is 30 compressions, 2 breaths, then repeat until the AED shows up. And you’re right – it does talk to you and tell you what to do! Crazy!
I did one of those courses 8 years ago, not sure I would know what to do in an emergency though!!!
Of course I’ve had advanced CPR/AED training for Healthcare Providers, but I’m a nurse.
I’ve had to do it on people, which obviously didn’t bother me. Some I’ve saved, some I didn’t…
It’s a great tool to have, you never know when you might need it! Instinct takes over, and it’s game on! If I was ever in situation, I hope someone would try to save me!! (hopefully they’ll be trained…)
I wonder, what is different about the advanced training?
That is cool to know you have helped save people! It’s incredible how far you have to compress the chest! Did you break any rib cages?
For nurses, some of us have ALS (Advanced Life Support). It’s pretty common for nurses/any healthcare provider to have, it’s more for when you’re in the hospital or clinical setting, when you have access to drugs and other life saving stuff. It teaches us how to be a leader, and how to be calm and take orders/listen to the docs. Kinda like when you see on TV and someone is going into cardiac arrest (I used the word “kinda” loosely….’cause it’s not like that most of the time).
I didn’t break any ribs that I know of. You do have to push down pretty far, and that’s soooo important! You can’t be scared to do it, I’d much rather have a few broken ribs and live!
I’m not certified anymore but when I was a lifeguard it was required.
I got certified when I was a teenager for a lifeguarding job. I kept my certification active until about 20 y/o. I would feel comfortable volunteering for CPR until EMS arrives at the scene – although I’d make sure they’ve already been called!
Yes. Three times it has been instrumental in helping someone see another sunrise. Twice the method to clear the airway of a child. Once my son, once my daughter. If you haven’t been trained – please do so – you never know how close to home it will hit.
I am certified.. 🙂
yesss..I had to do a course..
and this is not exactly great news to report, but I had an elderly lady stop breathing in my pharmacy a couple of years ago. It was a terrible experience, and we had to start doing CPR, etc.
I think it’s a great thing to be able to know/do. 🙂
I had to get certified at school this past year. I haven’t had to use it yet and hope I never have to, but its definitely a good thing to know and I feel like if I had to use it…I could.
We had to have CPR in high school, which was really embarrassing, and way too long ago for me to actually remember what to do now in case something would happen to someone.
I should probably take a refresher course, huh?
You should! And report back – I am curious to hear if it’s different at all there 😉
I am CPR certified and since then I always seem to notice the AED’s everywhere I go. I’ve never had to use it though…hopefully never will!
I have to take CPR courses for nursing…and it is a lot harder in reality :/ The main thing is to realize you have to press freaking hard to get 2 inches into someone. And you will hear bad things happen. Don’t be afraid to do it correctly. So awesome that you got certified!!!
I have. Twice. The first time was over a decade ago when I was a lifeguard. Considering how terrible I am in emergency situations, I probably never should have even been a lifeguard. And my mom wonders why I never followed her footsteps and became a nurse. Anyway, we had to do weekly inservices on both CPR and water saves … I still have a lot of that ingrained in my memory. Luckily I never had to do either (CPR or a water save). I also got certified in CPR/AED a couple years ago at work (I think they wanted at least one person in each office suite to be certified), and I was surprised that CPR no longer includes mouth-to-mouth, at least not through the org we were being certified through (probably the American Heart Assoc?)
I’m CPR/AED/ACLS/PALS certified…….and that whole nurse thing. I’ve never had to do chest compressions on anyone, although we do bag people at work often enough. It sounds bad, but I want someone to code at work so I get some experience with it…makes me so nervous!
I have been trained as a lifeguard since I was 16 and now need it for my job anyway. I have saved two people in my life so it came in handy 🙂
Cool!
I got my CPR and First-Aid certification last year when I was teaching fitness, but I didn’t renew it this year after quitting. I need to do it again, but I’m always so scared that I won’t be able to do it right. It always seems like so little training, and I still feel unprepared when I’m done.
I have been meaning to ask you about teaching fitness! Do you drop it because of time constraints?