CPR and first aid are two different, yet vitally important skills that should be learned by all individuals. Young and old alike, and persons from all walks of life, can and do greatly benefit from the knowledge of CPR and first aid.

CPR and first aid are often used interchangeably and are thought by many to be one and the same. The fact is, though both techniques are used in emergency situations, they are quite different skills. Both should be mastered by persons who wish to be able to improve the quality of life of those around them, but the differences between the two should be noted.

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a first response technique that is used for individuals who are suffering from heart attack. Using a combination of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions, CPR can provide victims of cardiac emergencies with enough blood flow to the brain to increase viability and to reduce the risk of brain damage. CPR is also sometimes used in cases where victims are unconscious, such as drowning, in order to resume respiration.

First aid is the act of providing immediate, emergency care to persons who suffer from a medical crisis. First aid is an all-encompassing term that applies to the care given in multiple situations, including wounds, burns, allergies, bites and stings, poisonings, and nearly any other situation that might require medical care. The term first aid can be used to describe the treatment given in any situation, even those that do not require a visitation to a medical professional.

Both first aid and CPR training are widely available. In order to be able to provide the best possible care in emergency situations, individuals should seriously consider becoming certified in both. Training for CPR and first aid are available in an easily accessible, online format through American Health Care Academy at www.cpraedcourse.com. This training is thorough yet inexpensive. Above all, becoming certified in first aid and CPR can greatly increase the quality of life of all of those around you.

Remember to consult with your vet for hands on training if desired.

Airway

After determining that the animal is non-responsive, step one in performing dog CPR is obtaining a good airway. This is a very important step. You should seek to achieve this first before continuing on.

Remember that making sure your pet has a clear airway is the most important aspect of CPR. Without oxygen your pet could die within minutes.

Pull out the tongue of your pet carefully. The emphasis here is on carefully. Pets, even when unconscious can bite by instinct. Keep the pet’s neck straight, and line up the neck and the back. In case there is neck trauma, do not hyper-extend the neck.

Then, try giving the animal two rescue breaths. Perform this by putting your mouth to its nose, and keeping the animal’s mouth closed. If your breaths go in then you can continue. However, if they do not go in, it means that there is an obstruction in the animal’s airway.

In this case, inspect the animal’s airway, and try to extract the obstructing object. If you cannot, try doing a modified Heimlich maneuver. Turn the animal over with its back against your chest and its head towards the ground in a bear hug. Deliver five thrusts to the abdomen. Imagine making each thrust dislodge the object. Be careful that you do not deliver too much pressure as it may cause damage if overdone.

Do not stop until you are able to clear the airway. Even if the animal goes into cardiac arrest (meaning no heartbeat), the primary concern is to open the airway and keep it clear.

Breathing

When the airway is cleared, determine if the animal is breathing on its own. If it is not, pull out its tongue again (again very carefully) so that the tongue does not itself obstruct the airway, and perform mouth to nose respiration.

Circulation

The last step of animal CPR should only be done if the airway and breathing are stabilized. Make sure there are no pools of blood or spurting. If there is, control these as necessary.

Lay the animal on its right side, now put your hands on the part where the animal’s left elbow touches its chest. This is the marker for the middle of the animal’s rib cage. Compress this part fifteen times then administer two rescue breaths. Repeat this cycle of 15 compressions then 2 rescue breaths.

This compression will change according to the size of the animal. If the pet is small use compressions that are half an inch deep, for medium dogs one inch, and for large dogs, one and a half inches. Repeat this as necessary until emergency assistance arrives.

When administering animal CPR, you must make a deliberate decision to be calm and collected. Doing CPR in a panic will only result in wrong decisions that may further imperil the life of the animal.

Remember that your CPR actions are first-at-the scene maneuvers, and that your pet will still need expert medical attention. Make sure that the veterinarian has been alerted as soon as you are able.

Pet CPR is a very important skill for those who deal with emergency medical cases concerning dogs. Further training is recommended. Contact your vet to ask about this training. This article is only meant to provide an introduction to dog CPR. Although not everyone learns it, those who do are a vital factor in saving the lives of many beloved pets.

Natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes can strike at anytime or any place without warning. They can destroy homes and businesses and even take lives. But the key to any sort of natural disaster, like earthquake or flood, or even a bioterrorist attack is to BE PREPARED.

The old Boy Scout Motto “Be Prepared” applies to virtually any situation. So being prepared means a lot of things and takes a lot of preparation. One thing you can do is create emergency survival kits. If you live in an area prone to earthquakes, prepare an earthquake survival plan and create a survival plan. What will you eat, where will you stay, how will you contact loved ones after the earthquake. Keep supplies of canned and dried food on hand, tons of water, along with plenty of batteries, and even a “go-bag” which has clothes and toiletries for each member of the family. An emergency kit is also good in areas with hurricanes, and flooding. Pack the kit with items you think you might need to last you and your family 3 to 4 days, which is usually the response time for emergency management services.

The kit should include canned food, water, radio and flashlights. It might be a good idea to put some books, and activities for small children to keep them occupied during down time and a deck or two of cards to keep the adults busy as well. Also make copies of important documents and seal them in a waterproof plastic bag to keep in the kit. This is just in case you have to evacuate your home because it was destroyed or deemed unsafe. Copies of important paperwork can speed along red tape processes.

One of the most important items to keep in an emergency survival kit is a first aid kit. A first aid kit can be as basic or extensive as you would like, but should at least have all the necessities such as bandages, antiseptic, gauze, and basic suturing kit. One of the most important survival elements that can not be found in the first aid kit is CPR certification. Every adult should know CPR. Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is an important lifesaving skill that can help in any natural disaster situation. It can be used to prolong life until emergency services arrive, and performed properly it can save lives.

The best way to learn to perform CPR properly is take a CPR certification class through a qualified CPR training program, likewww.CPRAEDCourse.com. They have qualified instructors in an online training environment to produce nationally certified CPR certification classes. Anyone with the potential to be in a natural disaster, from flood, to earthquake, from hurricane to tornado should be CPR certified and prepared. An online CPR classes, like those available at www.cpraedcourse.com can help you “Be Prepared.”

Natural disaster, YIKES! You never know when one might strike. It could be a hurricane, a tornado, or an earthquake. They can come and be gone in the blink of an eye and leave quite a mess behind. But you can never be too prepared for a natural disaster, not matter what form it may come in.

www.CPRAEDCourse.com

Learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation, more commonly known as CPR, is a worthy enterprise. The technique has been known to save lives and in some cases, was the only thing standing between a victim of heart failure and certain death.

That said, well meaning individuals who are interested in learning CPR could very confused as to the best place to obtain proper CPR training.

Although volunteer facilities or civic organizations are okay places to learn about CPR, there is a greater benefit to taking an accredited CPR course. You don’t have to be a paramedic or EMT to sign up for such a class, in fact, everybody can, and should consider CPR accreditation.

What are the advantages?

Getting it done right

If you find yourself in a situation where CPR will be employed, you want to do it right. Volunteers at clubhouses, with the best of intentions, could very well be unaware of proper procedure. This is not to say that the courses offered at certain organizations have no merit, rather, there is a difference in quality. For example, a person can learn to dogpaddle but it always better to learn how to swim.

You’ll be certified

Although you won’t be able to call yourself a medical professional, you will be certified to perform the procedure. This can end up being a very important distinction in a life threatening situation. A certification can reap psychological benefits for the student as well, giving you the confidence to perform CPR. Confidence is just as important as knowledge of the technique itself, as someone who is unsure could botch the resuscitation attempt.

You can really learn the CPR technique

Being able to take time and really study cardiopulmonary resuscitation will give you a real handle on what it can and cannot do. You’ll also obtain a more in depth understand of what CPR is and how it affects the heart. Knowing how the technique saves lives can be very important as it gives you can greater appreciation of what you are learning.

It looks good on resumes

People who go the extra mile in any endeavor are often admired, especially by potential employers. It never hurts to display a civic minded side to companies as they will look at you as a great potential asset. In other words, by doing something that will aid others, you can also, inadvertently, help yourself.

Ability to help loved ones

Statistically speaking, you’ll more than likely help someone close to you with CPR than a stranger. In the US alone 3 out of 4 heart arrests and failures occur in the family home. This means that you will most likely be using CPR on a family member or acquaintance. Wouldn’t you like to know that you are more than capable of helping a loved one in distress if the need arose.

You won’t hurt anyone

Improperly applied CPR can potentially harm people. Some individuals who had CPR performed on them even experienced broken ribs. While this can occur even with a properly applied CPR procedure, the chances are heightened if an individual doesn’t understand how to apply the appropriate pressure on the chest.

Yes, it may cost a few dollars to learn CPR via an accredited course; however, it could cost a lot more in the long run if you don’t know how to properly employ the procedure.

If you wish to learn CPR, check into local accredited training courses in your area. By taking this extra step to aid your fellow man, you can rest assured that you will be more capable to render aid should you ever find yourself in an emergency situation.

Knowing the basics of first aid allows you to have emergency preparedness in any situation. Something could go wrong at any time, whether you’re at home, out hiking or in a restaurant. That’s why it’s so important you know how to handle yourself and others in case of an emergency.

One of the essentials of emergency preparedness is learning CPR. If you don’t already know it, take classes at a local community college or a YMCA. Classes like this are always being offered because it is a part of first aid that is very crucial to learn. You also might be able to find free CPR lessons offered at different times of the year. Also, you cannot use the same type of CPR on babies as you would adults. So, you will need to learn both types of this life saving technique to truly be schooled in emergency preparedness.

Another thing you’ll want to do for emergency preparedness is to have a first aid kit with you at all times. It’s wise to keep one in your house and in your car. First aid kits can contain sterile gauze, adhesive tape, adhesive bandages in several sizes, elastic bandages, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, sharp scissors and other items. You will also want to have a list of emergency numbers handy at all times as well. Being prepared means that you will have a greater chance at surviving any disaster that befalls you or your family.

There isn’t much you can do to prevent an emergency from occurring but equipping yourself with the necessary first aid items will help you to react in a timely and organized fashion if something does happen. Emergency preparedness is incredibly important because not only will it make you feel more secure, but it could end up saving your life or the life of someone you love.

Child Chokes on Carrot and Dies – Does your Au Pair know CPR?

Tragedy struck a Long Island day school Wednesday, March 16, 2009, when police say a two-year-old girl died after choking on a piece of raw carrot.

According to the Carousel Day School in Hicksville, New York,  the girl began to choke after eating a piece of carrot.  Daycare employees tried to perform CPR on her, before rushing the toddler to Nassau University Medical Center where she was pronounced dead at 4:25 p.m.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics one child in the U.S. dies from choking on food every 5 days!

Is your au pair certified in CPR?  Did your agency train your au pair to adequately handle such an emergency if your child started to choke on food?  If your au pair does not have the CPR Certification or the necessary skills required to dislodge food from a child’s throat, it may mean the difference of life or death for your child.

We took a look at the 12 au pair agencies and we found health and safety information on all their sites that confirm all au pairs do receive some training in first aid and CPR. The U.S. Department of State requires that some form of basic training must be provided during the 4-5 day au pair orientation. 

We found that only one of the agencies provides the full CPR Core training that results in a CPR Certification!

Let’s take a look at what the agencies claim they provide (not all agencies are listed here as most of them only had one or two sentences regarding the “training” given to the au pairs before they are released to your home):

Au Pair In America

In terms of CPR training, Au Pair in America states their “Orientation includes seminars by American Red Cross (trained) instructors who provide hands-on demonstrations in infant/child CPR and safety.”  How much training is not stated and the au pairs do not receive a CPR Certification.

However, APIA will pay for an Infant/Child CPR and First Aid Certification for standard au pairs and Child/Adult CPR Certification for Educare au pairs.  The way it works is, your au pair finds a Red Cross training in your town, pays for it (or you do), completes and passes the course, receiving her Certification and APIA will reimburse you.  CPR training costs about $200 and it is well worth the money.

APIA is the only au pair agency that will reimburse your au pair for this training.

Au Pair Care

Au Pair Care has an Au Pair Academy where the au pairs receive “Hands-on American Heart Association CPR & First Aid training.”  They do not provide the CPR Core training that results in a CPR Certificate for the standard or educare au pairs.  They do provide CPR Certification for the au pairs enrolled in the Infant Specialized Program.

Au Pair Care’s Infant Specialized Program Training:

Au Pair Care is the only au pair agency that provides the CPR Core Certification Training,  but only in their Infant Program.

The training “utilizes a hands-on approach to train au pairs in infant safety and caregiving and infant stimulation and development.” AuPairCare Infant Specialized au pairs attend a certification course in infant CPR and First Aid by the American Heart Association. 

A spokesperson at Au Pair Care told us they could not guarantee all au pairs will pass the course (approximately 8+ hours training and a formal test), but she did said they have had “great success” with this program and the CPR Certification Training.

“Au pairs also receive instruction from AuPairCare trainers certified in Infant Massage with the Liddle KidzTM Foundation, and instruction from trainers certified in Infant Sign language by Baby Fingers, a leading Infant Sign Language learning organization.”

The Infant Specialized Care Program is a wonderful place to start if you have an infant and are considering au pair childcare – we highly recommend that if you have a child under the age of 22 months, call AuPairCare first!

InterExchange Au Pair

This program provide a “full day on child health and safety with an American Red Cross licensed instructor focusing on:”

First Aid, CPR, and Rescue Breathing

Accident Prevention Awareness

Car, Fire, Toy, Indoor and Outdoor Safety

Basic Child Healthcare

Cultural Care

Upon arrival to the U.S., Cultural Care au pairs “attend an exclusive, four-day training program focused on child development and safety. Our unique Au Pair Training School offers instruction from dedicated and experienced educators in a classroom setting. Small class sizes allow teachers to give au pairs one-to-one attention.”

“What do Cultural Care au pairs learn at the Au Pair Training School?  The Cultural Care Au Pair staff developed the curriculum for the four-day program in collaboration with The Children’s Foundation in Washington, D.C.”

Topics covered include:

Health and Safety in the Home

Child Nutrition

Common Childhood Illnesses

Safety and Emergency Education

Effective Communication

Au Pairs as Role Models

Ages & Stages: Birth to Teenage Years

Age-appropriate Materials and Activities

Building Self-esteem in Children

Behavior Management

We strongly recommend that your au pair complete a CPR and First Aid Certification course so you can have peace of mind knowing, if your child chokes on a piece of carrot, your au pair will jump into action and save the day!

You can find local training courses by visiting the Red Cross at http://www.redcross.org/

 

       LifeSavers, Inc. an American Heart Association CPR & First Aid Training Center located in Fairfield, N.J. will be giving away twenty Family and Friends CPR Anytime Kits to celebrate Heart Month.  According to the American Heart Association the Family & Friends CPR Anytime Personal Learning Program allows families, friends and the general public – those who most likely would never attend a traditional CPR course – to learn the core skills of CPR in just 22 minutes using their own personal kit. The kit contains everything needed to learn basic CPR, and skills can be learned anywhere, from the comfort of a family home to a large community group setting. Also, at under $35, the CPR Anytime kit is a cost-effective way for the entire family to learn CPR at home. This kit does not provide certification in CPR. 

 Each Family & Friends CPR Anytime kit contains: 





A personal, inflatable CPR manikin – “Mini Anne”

CPR Anytime Skills Practice DVD

Accessories for the program



To enter to win a CPR Anytime Kit visit LifeSavers’ website at www.LifeSaversInc.com and CLICK “ENTER TO WIN” at the center of the page.  No purchase is necessary. 

           LifeSavers, Inc. Provides CPR and First Aid training both at their Fairfield location and onsite in the tri-state area for groups of nine or more.  Additionally, LifeSavers sells:



AHA Manuals

AHA Instructional DVD’s

AHA Choking and CPR Posters

Barrier Devices

First Aid Kits and Supplies

Defibtech AED’s

AED Pads and Batteries

And MORE.



According to the AHA Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, are our nation’s No. 1 killer. To urge Americans to join the battle against these diseases, since 1963 Congress has required the president to proclaim February "American Heart Month." (Note this is not "Heart Month" or "National Heart Month.")

The American Heart Association works with the administration to draft and sign this annual proclamation.

During American Heart Month, thousands of our volunteers visit their neighbors. Their goal is to raise funds for research and education and pass along information about heart disease and stroke.

LifeSavers, Inc. is located at 39 Plymouth Street in Fairfield, NJ 07004.  To contact LifeSavers, call 973-244-9111. 

While we all hope that we are never in a life threatening situation it is very important to know what to do should one arise.  First Aid Certification as well as CPR certification can provide you with the skills you need to react with confidence in life-threatening situations.  There are several online certification programs that offer certification in a variety of emergency skills.  One important thing to look out for is that the material is up-to-date.  The rules and regulations that govern safety training change fairly regularly and it is important that you are receiving the most up to date training possible.  

How long does your certification last?  Well it often depends on what you get certified in.  For example, if you were to get a CPR certification it usually lasts about 2 years.  It is also important to have proof of your First Aid Certification so you should receive some sort of certificate or certification card upon completion of your certification course.  This certificate can be used to show your certification when you apply for jobs that require emergency skills as part of the job requirement.  Even with all this it is a good idea to choose a company with a money back guarantee, so that if for any reason you are not satisfied with the training you receive you can get your money back.  That shows that the training company is confident in their training materials.

If you receive your CPR certification you will learn about a number of things including the Good Samaritan laws, which protect people from liability if they choose to help someone who is injured or ill.  The course will also teach you the different ways to administer CPR depending on if the recipient is an adult, child, or infant.  All this good CPR information is combined with important First Aid Certification information like how to control bleeding, and how to care for a person who has suffered shock.  For example, if you are trying to stop bleeding it is a good idea to apply pressure directly to the wound with a gauze pad, which promotes the coagulation of the blood.  

First Aid Certification also teaches you more, like how to care for burns and poisoning.  It is important to soak a burn in cold water and then apply some type of soothing ointment to the burn.  Taking some sort of over-the counter pain reliever is also a good idea.  The CPR certification will teach you how to put someone in the proper recovery position in order to help the person breathe and to drain fluid away from the person’s nose and throat if an unconscious victim were to vomit.

Whether First Aid Certification is something that you want to receive for personal reasons or it is training that you want to provide on a corporate level it is a good idea to keep in mind all your options including the option to receive your certification online.  It is also very easy to receive specialty certification through an online certification program, like CPR certification.  Whether in a business setting or just personal reasons you can be prepared for life-threatening emergency situations.

There are many reasons for teachers to get teaching certificate programs. There are many certificate programs that need qualified teachers. Any job that requires technical training like being an electrician requires certification. Also any job that requires using a specialty vehicle also requires certification. No matter what kind of job a person may have, he or she will probably need certification of some kind. People need to be taught everything from O.S.H.A. standards to CPR.

Many teachers get teaching certificate programs for technical certification because there are so many certificates that people need. There are many different things that a person needs to know when becoming something like an electrician. There are many different aspects and a person needs certification in each one. People get teaching certificate programs so that these electricians can do their jobs. Not just electricians need specialty certificates. Plumbers, carpenters and other workmen need special programs too. Also anyone who wants to do anything with pyrotechnics also needs specific certification. This allows a person to legally work with things that are otherwise taboo. Something many people do not think about is having certification to work with and keep exotic animals. Truly there are many people who get teaching certificate programs out there.

People also get teaching certificate programs in special vehicle use. There are all sorts of vehicles that people use to ship goods, build and destroy. Every different vehicle requires specific training. Truck drivers often go to truck driving school. The teachers get teaching certificate programs in different size rigs for the many students. Also people who work in construction need certification in the many construction vehicles that are used. No one wants to see an untrained person behind the wheel of a wrecking ball. There are also special certificate programs that have to deal with the many types of ships and planes out there. Companies ship their goods in many ways, and for every different way there is a different certification needed.

Certification is not limited to specific fields. Many people also need certification in all sorts of other areas. People get teaching certificate programs in things like first aid, CPR and other work place standards. Most places get teaching certificate programs in O.S.H.A. standards. This is because of how important they are in making sure that everyone in a work place is kept safe. CPR goes along with that in keeping everyone safe. Between CPR and first aid certification, a company can keep many more employees safe. Another more modern certification involves protecting people from blood born pathogens. Because of just how many different certificates there are, people get teaching certificate programs in the work place.

Whether it’s a cut, burn, sprain or something more serious, it often falls on the people around when an emergency strikes to provide first aid to a patient. Knowing what to do and how to do it during an emergency can save not only time, but also lives. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to get some training on the basics of providing first aid in emergency situations. There are plenty of locations for doing so.

If you want to learn how to effectively provide aid if a problem arises, the places to turn for proper training include local Red Cross chapters, schools and even area hospitals. These locations often offer great courses including CPR and beyond. What’s more, if you’re trained to provide assistance while waiting for medical attention, you shouldn’t find yourself feeling helpless if something bad does happen. Few feelings are worse than having to stand by and wait for help while a loved one suffers. Being trained to give first aid can help alleviate this circumstance.

The reasons for wanting to learn how to provide help in basic medical emergencies are many. Some people do so for their jobs; others want to be able to help loved ones if a bad situation occurs. Parents with small children are particularly in tune to the need to be able to provide first aid. Images of choking children, drowning children or kids with big cuts often make parents run screaming to the nearest outlet to learn.

If you’ve decided to learn how to give first aid in a medical crisis, let’s look at the options for getting the right training. It’s important to ensure the outlet is accredited to give the instruction. Learning incorrectly can be dangerous. Here are some of the best choices for learning it the right way:

Red Cross chapters: Although these might not be available in every area, this organization provides low cost and sometimes free training in basic first aid, which will include the Heimlich maneuver; CPR and even infant and child courses designed to help parents handle minor emergencies that crop up. Certification for giving CPR will often be offered, too.

Hospitals: These are a great choice for a number of classes. Many hospitals provide an array of classes designed to teach people how to give first aid in a number of situations. In addition to what the Red Cross offers, hospitals might also give courses designed to help caregivers of special needs patients understand what needs to be done in a crisis.

Area schools: High schools often have night school programs that will sometimes include basic first aid and CPR. Whether these courses are taught by the school’s instructors or teachers from the Red Cross will vary, but the end result is a good basic understanding of how to give first aid in an emergency.

When a medical emergency arises, there’s nothing worse than being helpless to assist. By taking basic classes, almost anyone can be prepared to give first aid when it’s needed.