4 Reasons Why Everyone Should Undertake a CPR Course
Although the benefits of cardiopulmonary resuscitation are widely known, only a fraction over 50% of the Australian population has undertaken a CPR course.
We can only speculate as to why. Many people think they already know the basics from watching re-enactments on TV, whilst others just aren’t comfortable giving mouth–to–mouth to a stranger.
In reality, however, both of these reasons are misguided. Doing chest compressions without proper training can result in a very poor or painful outcome for a patient, and mouth–to–mouth is no longer an additional requirement.
Our CPR course – or HLTAID009 by its technical name – is the most up–to–date version you can learn, and will supersede an original HLTAID001 certificate.
Keep reading for our top 4 reasons why it’s so important to learn CPR…
1. Emergencies Can Happen Anywhere
Cardiac arrests are more common than you think.
Approx. 30,000 Aussies will suffer from one every year (that’s 55 people every day!) and sudden cardiac arrests have a survival rate of just 5%.
These statistics show that being put into a life-or-death situation might not be as unlikely as you’d think. Accidents, incidents, and emergency situations can literally happen anywhere and at any time.
Of course, calling an ambulance should be on the top of your list, but being able to administer CPR in the meantime could be the difference between a good or a bad outcome. Which leads us to our next point…
2. Immediate Care is Crucial
It’s easy to feel unprepared or underqualified in an emergency, but delaying or procrastinating assistance is the last thing a critically ill person needs.
CPR performed by a bystander immediately after a severe attack, such as a sudden cardiac arrest, can double or even triple their chances of survival. During a cardiac arrest, the heart is unable to pump blood or oxygen to the rest of the body, including the lungs and the brain. This can mean death within minutes if left untreated.
A CPR course teaches you how to do effective chest compressions to mimic how the heart pumps. In a real life scenario, these quick response compressions will help blood flow again throughout the body and keep a person alive until medical crews arrive on the scene or the patient is delivered to a hospital or clinic.
If given CPR as soon as possible, their chances of a full recovery are good.
3. CPR is Easy to Learn
The best part about participating in a CPR course is that it is simple to learn.
Hands–only CPR is the most common way of administering CPR these days, so there’s no need to do mouth–to–mouth if you’re not keen on it. And more importantly – chest compressions are pretty easy to do!
The first step is to put the patient on their back if it’s safe and appropriate to do so (i.e. if something is obstructing their airway, you need to put them on their side, tilt their head back and clear their airways fist). Then you place the heel of one hand in the centre of their chest, between their nipples, and then put your other hand on top, interlocking your fingers.
Position yourself above their chest, and using your body weight, keep your arms straight and press down at least 1/3 depth of their chest. That’s one compression. You should aim to do between 100 and 120 per minute (letting their chest return to its normal position between compressions) until the patient stirs or help arrives.
4. CPR Skills Save Lives
Last but certainly not least, the main reason you should learn how to do CPR is because you could save a life. It’s as simple and as important as that.
Although we associate needing to do CPR with heart attacks, there are a few other reasons where doing CPR is the best way to keep a person breathing and their heart beating.
A person can be suddenly rendered unconscious or have difficulty breathing for many reasons, including drowning, choking, suffocation, an allergic reaction, poisoning, electrocution or smoke inhalation. If you’re one of the first on the scene and know how to perform CPR, then you are the best person to help.
Industry Wide Training’s CPR courses run for 45 minutes and are just $50 per person, with certificates issued within 24 hours of completion. Contact us today for more information or book a session via the website!