<p>I’m just back from taking my 47yo neighbor to the ER tonight, having performed CPR on him. (I’ve been an EMT for 20+ years and have known CPR since we had it for a few week in gym frashman year in high school). It looks like he will make it, but if it wasn’t for the quick response of his wife performing CPR, the police arriving with an AED and the rest of the local EMS, I’m afraid it would be a different story. </p>
<p>How many high schools teach CPR in gym class? I’m planning to call our HS tomorrow and ask that it be taught, as the parents of HS age kids are the ones that are most likely to be saved if it’s witnessed.</p>
<p>My daughter didn’t have to take pe, because she was on school team, but she was certified through girl scouts and again for her job as a summer camp counselor.</p>
<p>While I agree with you, don’t expect it to happen anytime soon. It’s “not on the test.” </p>
<p>I have been certified in CPR for 4 years. I learned CPR originally in Boy Scouts, but don’t recall actually getting certified. When I went to college, I had to get it for working at the Rec Center and I’ve had to get CPR for the Professional Rescuer while I was in the athletic training program. I’ll have to keep that certification the rest of my career. I need to renew it in the next few weeks in fact…</p>
<p>My daughter is certified because she’s a lifeguard (& coincidently just did her recert today). New studies are showing that chest compressions are what are important, as it circulates the blood. The rescue breathes are now seen less important and basic classes are strating to downplay it, as most bystanders won’t start CPR because of rescue breathing.</p>
<p>At our local public high school, part of the health class curriculum includes mandatory certification in CPR, First Aid, and the use of portable defibrillators. The students can’t graduate until they’ve completed the program. Students also have the option of taking an additional class to learn how to become CPR instructors. These students then help to teach the free CPR workshops offered to the community.</p>
<p>The program has paid off. Many students have had to use these skills to save lives.
One student saved his father’s life when the man had a heart attack while driving with his son in the car. The boy grabbed the wheel, guided the car to the side of the road, and began CPR on his Dad.</p>
<p>Another student used the Heimlick Maneuver to save her younger sister.</p>
<p>Another student came to the rescue of someone (stranger) while he was on a school trip to France. He performed CPR on the man until an ambulance arrived.</p>
<p>Another student performed CPR on his Dad after he found him on the ground is the midst of a massive heart attack. </p>
<p>At a school in the next district, a custodian saved a teacher by using one of the portable defibrillators at the school. Every worker at the school goes through mandatory training in the use of the defibrillators.</p>
<p>What training? My understanding is the machines are completely self sufficient. They analyze the patient to determine whether they are needed, and only apply the defibilibrating shock if the patient condition indicates this is the correct action. They’re designed for an untrained individual to use.</p>
<p>The reason why I’m posting this is not to be argumentative, but to encourage others to use the AED equipment if they see a person who may benefit from it. You don’t have to be trained or spend minutes reading the instructions. Simply apply the paddles, push the button, and let the machine do the work.</p>
<p>The training involves showing how to use the equipment and become familiar with the equipment. You don’t want your first time using an unfamiliar piece of equipment to be in the midst of a life threatening emergency. When you’re placed in a high stress situation, it’s best to know the procedure beforehand.</p>
<p>babyontheway, while the machines do all the work, they have to be located and taken out of the wall case to be used what they are intended for. And that is what training is mostly all about. At my work, everyone undergoes mandatory fire extinguisher training which does not involve actual use of fire extinguishers. People are shown their location, reminded of the PASS rule, etc. Every once in a while, we do splurge and pay the local fire department to let us extinguish a real fire that they set in a metal barrel in the empty parking lot. Everyone is also shown the locations of the safety eye wash stations and showers. People tend to roll their eyes (“gee, we know all of this!”), but as real life events show, in panic and disarray, even trained people may get the “deer in the headlights” syndrome. A safety shower would have saved the life of the young lady who perished after a chemical spill/fire at her UCLA lab.
[UCLA</a> faces possible criminal charges for chemistry lab death](<a href=“http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2010/January/29011003.asp]UCLA”>http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2010/January/29011003.asp)
So sad!</p>
<p>My point is that nobody should opt not to use a AED because they haven’t been trained. They don’t require training to use them.</p>
<p>Yes, I’m familiar with safety requirements at companies. I completed over 75 safety training courses last year and am thoroughly tired of repeating the same training over and over. </p>
<p>I just don’t want anyone to think “I can’t use the AED because I don’t know how”, or to think they their for the use of EMTs and they should wait for the EMT to show up and use them. Waiting 2-3 minutes could be too long. </p>
<p>AEDS are designed to be used by untrained operators at a moments notice.</p>
<p>Same for my D’s HS. Even when they are certified, they are not exactly qualified. My D said she wouldn’t trust herself doing CPR to save anyone’s life. She is certified.</p>
<p>I took a CPR course years ago and really could use a refresher. At one point I thought about organizing a first aid and CPR class for my son and his friends over the summer before going off to college, but I forgot about it. Since NYS has a required health class it would be easy to incorporate learning CPR properly into the curriculum.</p>
<p>Count us as another school required to learn CPR in HS. I don’t know the scope throughout the county or state so I can’t speak to that. As others have stated, many have also been trained through scouting or lifeguard certification.</p>
<p>The studies are showing that early chest compressions are the most important issue. Keeping blood flowing through the brain is the most important issue. </p>
<p>The issue with the AED is knowing the basics, even though it is well illustrated. The 2 critical issues are (1) pad placement. You want the shock to deliver through the heart and (2) standing clear of the patient so you don’t get more patients.</p>
<p>The most important thing is chest compressions, which I believe most people will retain from their CPR training. It is not that important to remember chest to breath ratios, etc. that you learn in class, just that they get those compressions going. As someone else just mentioned, there are new recommendations being made about CPR breathing in light of studies showing that chest compressions are the most critical piece of the CPR intervention. </p>
<p>Your daughter is most certainly qualified to give CPR when needed. Hopefully, anyone who has ever received the training will jump in and just give it their best if the need arises. Perfection is not the objective-life saving compressions will give the patient a chance at survival.</p>
<p>CPR is required at my daughter’s high school as part of the PE/Health class curriculum.</p>
<p>My school system requires training in middle school and during sophomore and senior years during gym class. I’ve really been able to see how often the guidelines for CPR change:</p>
<p>middle school: 2 breaths to 15 compressions
sophomore year: 30 compressions to 2 breaths
senior year: hands-only CPR introduced</p>
<p>I sent an email to a close friend who’s on our Board of Ed to see if it’s a topic that’s ever been discussed. I know 3 of our 9 Bd of Ed members quite well, plus one of the middle school PR teachers. (for whatever it’s worth, my neighbor is quite involved in the town kids soccer league, so I’m sure I can garner signicifant support if needed). </p>
<p>I’ve never been passionate about an issue before, but maybe it’s time to stand up for something since my Girl Scout troop is winding down (HS seniors). For the past 20 years, I’ve thought about becoming a CPR instructor, so now it looks like I should step up.</p>