Temecula CPR Training

What better place to begin our conversation with the community we love then helping our friends and neighbors learn what to do in case of an emergency.

As a Loss Prevention Manager serving the hospitality and retail distribution and logistics sectors I have years of experience as it relates to training, compliance, audits, inspections, skills development, hazard assessments, etc.

But first, a bit of full disclosure.  My name is Michael Van Hanja and I am the owner of http://www.Askthesafetyman.com, http://www.TemeculaCPR.com and http://www.CPRfundraising.com.

It is my sincere hope that I can shine some light, provide many resources and answer your questions on topics ranging from CPR training all the way through OSHA training, compliance, audits, inspections and requirements.  Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions and I will do my very best to help.  You can reach me at 1-800-277-2267 or Mike@Askthesafetyman.com.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's jump straight away into our first subject, CPR training.  As the introduction alluded to, would you know what to do if a child's lifeless body was pulled from the water?  Let's do a quick review:

This is a question we hear frequently from training participants, “Why do we do CPR for someone who’s drowning?  Shouldn’t we just do rescue breathing?” This is a good question.  Let’s look at it here for a moment.  What criteria do we use to determine whether or not someone experiencing a medical emergency requires CPR?  If you were thinking, “Is the victim conscious” and “Are they breathing”, then we’re both thinking alike.  If a victim is unconscious, not breathing and shows no signs of life, we begin CPR.  In the case of a drowning victim, they will be pulled from the water in a lifeless condition which meets those criteria.

 So, let’s review the appropriate steps to provide care to a victim of drowning:

• As the victim is pulled from the water, lay them on a firm, flat surface in a face-up position;
• Tap the victim and shout to determine if the victim is conscious or not;
• Direct a SPECIFIC bystander to call 911 and to get an AED if one is available and return to the scene.  Directing a specific person helps to eliminate confusion and the possibility that no one makes the critical call for help;
• Direct a SPECIFIC bystander to go out to meet the responding medics and direct them to the scene.  Directing a specific person to perform this important task helps to save precious moments that the victim must wait to receive advanced medical care;
• Open the victim’s airway using the Head-Tilt Chin-Lift technique.  One hand on the forehead and two fingers under the bony part of the victim’s chin;
• Place your ear close to the victim’s mouth then Look, listen and feel for breathing for NO MORE THAN 10 SECONDS.  Gasping or irregular breath sounds, known as agonal respirations, shall be considered as having no breathing.  You are looking to see if the victim’s chest rises with a breath, listening for the sounds of breathing and trying to feel for shallow breaths on your cheek and ear;
• If you have a breathing barrier, place it over the victim’s mouth and nose to protect against disease transmission;
• If the victim is a child under the age of 12 or an infant and is not breathing give TWO (2) RESCUE BREATHS.  If the victim is an adult over the age of 12 you will go straight to performing chest compressions;
• Open the victim’s airway, take a normal breath, form a seal around the victim’s mouth with your mouth, (if providing care for an infant, form a seal around the infant’s mouth and nose), and blow for about 1 second.  Release the seal, take another normal breath, form the seal and blow the second breath into the victim’s lungs for about 1 second;
• Begin chest compressions, (cycles of 30 fast and hard chest compressions, in the center of the chest, followed by 2 rescues breaths).  Compress an adult’s chest down AT LEAST 2”; compress a child’s chest down ABOUT 2” and compress an infant’s chest down ABOUT 1 ½”;

·         Perform 100 chest compressions per minute, (about 18 compressions in 15 seconds).  Think of the song, “Staying Alive”.  The tempo is 100 beats per minute, it may help you pace your compressions;

• The victim will likely have white frothy water coming out of their mouth.  Carefully roll the victim onto their side to clear the water from their mouth and airway and continue chest compressions and rescues breaths;
• Stop CPR once an AED arrives on scene, is connected and ready to use.  Do not touch the victim while the AED is analyzing.  Be prepared to follow the voice prompts;
• If the AED advises a shock, follow the prompts to deliver the shock, then continue CPR.  If the AED states that no shock is advised, continue CPR for two (2) minutes before allowing the AED to re-analyze the victim;
• Continue emergency care until advanced medical care arrives on scene and takes over, the scene becomes unsafe, another rescuer with equal or greater training arrives and takes over or you are too physically exhausted to continue.

Both the person suffering a sudden cardiac arrest and the drowning victim will be unconscious and not breathing.  Emergency skills to provide bystander level care will be the same, CPR.  You can download a FREE 196 page copy of the Red Cross training manuals from their website.  Visit http://www.Facebook.com/CPRfundraising for the download links.

I highly recommend everyone registers for Bystander CPR or Healthcare Provider / Professional Rescuer CPR training.  There are several experienced providers in town to choose from.  Bystander Adult, Child & Infant CPR with Temecula CPR is only $20 per person.  Certification cards are valid for 2 years from the date of training.  We follow American Red Cross National Guidelines.  Visit www.TemeculaCPR.com or call us at 1-800-CPR-CAMP for more information or to register for training.  Looking for OSHA safety training classes, consulting or forklift training?  Visit www.Askthesafetyman.com today. Classroom, onsite and online training programs are available.