I recently completed the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) course. As a medical provider, I renew my BLS certification every two years as required by the AHA. It is a great opportunity to update my knowledge on the latest advances on how to perform high-quality CPR, how to respond to choking, and other types of life-threatening emergencies.
Have you ever participated in a CPR or First Aid course?
High-quality CPR and First Aid training is an emergency lifesaving procedure. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
Only 46% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) get the immediate help that they need before professional help arrives.
More than 12,000 children between the ages of 0 - 19 years of age die from accidental injury each year.
In one year alone, 475,000 Americans die from cardiac arrest.
CPR and First Aid training is such an important part of my journey as a pediatrician, but statistics show that most emergencies occur in the home, outside of medical offices, or hospitals. This is one of the reasons CPR and First Aid training is important for everyone.
Anyone can enroll in a CPR class. If you are a parent, grandparent, babysitter, guardian, nanny, teacher, youth sports coach, or child care worker, I highly recommend it. During this time of COVID, most centers are providing a combined online learning course with a hands-on skills component. A training course can be completed in half a day and can easily be found in most communities. For location and fee information, I recommend going to the American Heart Association's website and finding a class near you.
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