Time for a CPR refresher course

[Laurierace]

CPR can be disturbing when you do it for the first time on a real person. Not only is it disturbing to witness someone not breathing and pulseless, but you really do break ribs more often than not. If the person survives the broken ribs will be the least of their concerns but it still feels weird. I will never forget that crunch.

[shakeytails]

As a nursing student (just graduated, yeah!!!!), I certainly hope I'll be able to use my CPR skills when needed. I tend to be very level-headed, so I think I'll be able to act appropriately when needed. The whole idea of being the first to respond to a pulseless, non-breathing person is sort of scary though. I've been told it's a sick feeling when you break ribs on a frail little elderly person who's gone into arrest.

[TheJenners]

Just went through the course again. NO breaths, just hard/fast compressions, same as they told me last year.

I personally I am glad this directive came down the pike. I'm not swapping spit with someone; the prevelance of Hep C, etc, is truly astounding.

[PonyPeep]

Interestingly enough the song "Another one bites the dust" also works but probably isn't the best thing to have running through your head at such a time.

Sig line.

On that note, wow, that must've been scary! Jingles for a fast recovery on her part.

But yes, I would take a refresher course, just for peace of mind if not something else.

[hr]

It is good for everyone to take a first aid and CPR class. A few years ago, our local eventing association offered a class, but I'm not sure they still offer one. Basic first aid is sometimes more important than CPR. Years ago, I was standing by a cross country fence waiting for my daughter to go cross country. A kid on a pony came galloping around the course. She and the pony did not see the last fence, which was around a bend. They careened into the fence and had a rotational fall. The pony was ok, but the girl was knocked unconscious. Her face was in the dirt, and I could hear her trying unsuccessfully to breathe. When her ears turned blue, I knew I had to do something. I lifted her shoulders/vest about 1/2". She immediately turned a normal color and began breathing. A well known rider then rode up and asked me if the girl was breathing. She had seen a similar fall a few months prior and another competitor (an MD) had repositioned a face down in the dirt/can't breathe/unconscious eventer because he was the first one on the scene.

A couple of minutes after the girl's fall, a bystander who was an ER doc arrived. The girl began regaining consciousness about 10 minutes later, at about the time an EMT arrived. She was transported off for a CT scan and was fine the next day. If no one had been there to reposition girl to open the airway, she would have died.

A basic first aid class is really important. Simple steps, like opening a child's airway, can save a lot of lives. By the time you get to the point where CPR is needed, often times the victim is not going to survive. CPR is important, but basic first aid is also really important.

Opening the airway is the first step of CPR, or ABC airway-breathing-circulation.

[Simbalism]

Being a nurse, I am certified in BLS(basic life support), ACLS(advanced), and PALS(pediaric advanced life support). In my many years of nursing, I luckily have not had to do CPR too frequently, and never out of the hospital. I trail ride with folks my age or older(50+) and always carry a first aid kit. About a year ago I decided to get an airway shield to be able to do breaths with out having to deal with the puke issue. I figure riding with older folks, the likelyhood of having to deal with a heart related issue may arise.

[Sillymoose]

I'm glad to know so many people are certified. I could do it, but it's been so long that I really need to learn all the new techniques.

Well the girl is doing great. No riding for a little while but she's back on her feet. I found out that she had a seizure when she hit her head and thats why her heart stopped beating. Still makes me shudder to think of how differently that could have turned out. So glad her mom knew CPR and was able to keep her cool in such a horrific situation.

[sdlbredfan]

For those who've never done it, CPR looks NOTHING like what they pretend to do on TV. They might as well gently stroke the person's sternum. When I went through EMT class, the instructor suggested we do the CPR as if we were trying to break ribs (while also maintaining pace, of course!). This ensured that we were doing it hard enough and fast enough. And most of the time, good CPR breaks ribs.

Now, if you are a very large man or a woman with WELL above normal strength, this "mental approach" may not be appropriate for you, because you might exert too much pressure to the point you can't go fast enough. You'll figure it out when you practice on the dummies.

But for the average sized person performing the average CPR on an otherwise healthy adult, you have to try harder than you expect to get a good, life saving compression. And, even if you do break ribs... well, broken ribs and a beating heart is way better than intact ribs and a dead heart.

Which, side note, is why I plan on having a clear advanced directive once I start getting frail and brittle. When I'm old enough that recovering from CPR will keep me in the hospital longer than recovering from the myocardial infarction, that is the same time I will elect to be "DNR".

This is an odd but serious question:
I have had open heart surgery, sternotomy is presumably well-healed and sternum was wired. Am I likely to be hurt worse by CPR compressions, because of a less than pristine/previously cracked open sternum? If so, I am thinking I ought to have a medic alert bracelet or something? On the other hand, I'd love to have my heart continue beating unless, as you said above, the recovery from CPR would itself be tricky.

[brightskyfarm]

Im certified BLS and ACLS (nurse). I encourage everyone to petition their workplace to offer classes ---- they are reasonably priced, take a few hours, but the benefits are unspeakable. Everyone should know these skills.

Many years ago, my daughter was choking! Luckily I knew what to do --- to this day she still says thanks.

It isnt what we do, but who we save.

[cloudyandcallie]

Just went through the course again. NO breaths, just hard/fast compressions, same as they told me last year.

I personally I am glad this directive came down the pike. I'm not swapping spit with someone; the prevelance of Hep C, etc, is truly astounding.

My investigator gave "the breath of life" to a man who had vomited. I know the newest method is not to do this, but to save a life, I'd do it.
Brightsky is right, it's that you save someone, regardless of blood or vomit or whatever.

[brightskyfarm]

This is an odd but serious question:
I have had open heart surgery, sternotomy is presumably well-healed and sternum was wired. Am I likely to be hurt worse by CPR compressions, because of a less than pristine/previously cracked open sternum? If so, I am thinking I ought to have a medic alert bracelet or something? On the other hand, I'd love to have my heart continue beating unless, as you said above, the recovery from CPR would itself be tricky.

FIRST! This should be discussed with your Dr.
Yes, you should wear an ID with all the info, organ donor? meds? its important for EMP (emerg med personel)to know your history, etc.

And, saving your life is most important, patching whatever is hurt in the process is easy.

[TheJenners]

My investigator gave "the breath of life" to a man who had vomited. I know the newest method is not to do this, but to save a life, I'd do it.
Brightsky is right, it's that you save someone, regardless of blood or vomit or whatever.

I'm going to kindly disagree. Esp since the directive is NO BREATHS. If I gave the "breath of life" to someone, got infected with something worse than a cold, my department would not cover my health expenses as it is outside our training and policy.

And since I work w/ people who often have AIDS/HIV, Hep C, other deadly diseases, universal precautions will be taken. I'll do chest compressions until EMT arrives.

[Kementari]

First, whether or not you are taught to do breaths depends on which level of certification you get from which agency. ARC at this point teaches CPR with breaths for everyone; AHA teaches compressions-only for lay responders but CPR with breaths for healthcare providers. The ARC guidelines will change at some point next year to compression-only for bystanders but retain breaths for workplace providers and professional rescuers. That said, you are encouraged if you are too grossed out by breaths to AT LEAST give compressions in any situation, though the chances of disease transmission when giving breaths are TINY.

Second, the easy solution to being grossed out by breaths is to carry a CPR mask or breathing barrier. I have a breathing barrier on my key ring and masks in various locations (well, OK, at the moment most are in a box, as I just moved ) like my car, backpack, barn, etc. That way if the situation arises, I don't have to worry about worrying () that I might be putting myself at risk, AND I can provide care to the full extent of my training.

[Jaideux]

This is an odd but serious question:
I have had open heart surgery, sternotomy is presumably well-healed and sternum was wired. Am I likely to be hurt worse by CPR compressions, because of a less than pristine/previously cracked open sternum? If so, I am thinking I ought to have a medic alert bracelet or something? On the other hand, I'd love to have my heart continue beating unless, as you said above, the recovery from CPR would itself be tricky.

Talk to your doctor.

But I will throw it out there that there are those in the medical community who feel you can't begin to do effective CPR until some ribs are cracked. And, potentially, instead of breaking in an unpredictable pattern, yours could break along the surgical line, which could potentially enhance healing after the fact...

But I am in no way a doctor, and I'm just musing aloud at this point

[LoriO]

We have a book on the table in the office that has everyone's pertinent medical info (allergies, etc), contact phone numbers, etc. I also wear one of these:

www.roadid.com

in case I am alone. Mine includes contact numbers, allergies (none), DOB, blood type, and the fact that I am an organ donor.

Another fan of RoadID, I've posted about it a few times on here. I have the interactive version so in case I am hurt with the horse, it has barn information and who they can call to take care of my horse. Love the extra piece of mine it gives me.

As for CPR, as a 911 dispatcher I am required to keep my certification current.