Category: American Heart Association

AED Training Saves High School Student’s Life

AED Training Saves High School Student’s Life

AED, AED training, CPR, CPR training, First Aid, First Aid trainingAED Training can make the difference in a life or death situation.  Recently, AED training saved the life of a high school freshman.  The following is the story as reported by WTKR news:

On November 28, 2016, Andrew had a heart attack inside a classroom.

He had a cough that day, but otherwise felt OK.

His physical education teacher, Amy Hunter, ironically, was teaching CPR as a part of his health class.

She realized he was in cardiac arrest, and immediately started CPR.

“All the stars that could’ve aligned, aligned the right way that day,” says Hunter. “I remember I kept saying to him come on Andrew, come on Andrew. I just knew I wasn’t going to let him die, I was going to do everything I could.”

She called in for assistance and the School Resource Officer, Master Deputy Jeffrey Charville, ran into the classroom with an AED.

“It’s one of those things where the training takes over,” he says.

Andrew was taken to the hospital and eventually transferred to CHKD where he underwent surgery to repair a heart valve, but he again went into cardiac arrest.

He was transferred to the University of Virginia Pediatric Cardiac Care unit in Charlottesville. On December 24th, Andrew received a new heart. As a result of his condition, he had to have one leg amputated below the knee.

Andrew’s mom tells News 3 that he was born with a bicuspid aortic valve with a stenosis of the valve. Doctors diagnosed the aortic valve as thick and hardened, which caused the heart to become enlarged.

They hope to have Andrew transfer to inpatient rehabilitation next week.

“Andrew is progressing very well. He is continuing to work hard in therapy, speech, and school,” she said to News 3 in a written message. “My family and I cannot express how proud we are to be a part of such a caring community.”

So the question is, “Are You Prepared when you face an emergency?”  “Do you have the right AED training to save a life?”  To answers these questions with a yes, go to AED training to find out about quality AED training for your organization.

 

Why You Should Know First Aid and CPR Techniques During the Summer Season

Five Important Reasons Why You Should Know First Aid and CPR Techniques During the Summer Season

cpr, first aid training, first aid classes, cpr training, cpr classes, aed, hampton roads, va, virginia beach, norfolk, chesapeake, newport news, Dianne cesvette, healthcare training solutionsFirst Aid and CPR go hand-in-hand with the summer season.  Summer is a time of getting together with friends and family, many who you have not seen throughout the year, and connecting with them in a relaxing, exciting, and fun way.  You might do lots of outdoor cooking, swimming, biking, mountain climbing, water sports, etc.

It is also a time to do those chores that you couldn’t do during the rest of the year.  You may find yourself planting and gardening, patching and painting the house, and trimming the trees.

Many activities during summer are activities that are more daring, strenuous, and sometimes riskier than the rest of the year.  This may lead to accidents and injuries that require First Aid and/or CPR.  According to a survey carried our by the University of Florida, you and/or a member of your family are far more likely to be rushed to the emergency room during the summer than be bitten by a shark (Only 71 incidents of shark attacks during the year).  Imagine if the following happened:

  • One of the children at your party is saved from drowning but is not yet breathing
  • Uncle Joe starts choking at the picnic table while eating
  • One of your guests starts to go into Cardiac Arrest while playing volleyball
  • You and your friend went for a jog, and he is experiencing a heat stroke
  • While trimming a tree branch, you fall out of the tree and hurt your back

I am sure you can imagine other situations that require First Aid.  The question is, “Are You Prepared to Give First Aid or CPR without Thinking?”  Remember, it can be a matter of seconds to make a difference. Here are some statistics to think about when you are considering why you should consider First Aid and CPR training:

  • Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children between ages 1-4.
  • 88% of Cardiac Arrests happen in the home
  • Only 6.4% of Cardiac Arrest Victims survive because people witnessing the incident do not know CPR
  • Over 200,000 people die of Sudden Cardiac Arrest every year
  • 50,000 of the 200,000 deaths yearly could be prevented

Why Learn First Aid and CPR?  Here are the Five Important reasons to learn CPR and First Aid:

  1. First aid is an important skill.
  2. By performing simple procedures and following certain guidelines, it may be possible to save lives by giving basic treatment until professional medical help arrives.Remember, too; that practice makes perfect.
  3. In an emergency, there’s no time to read instructions. If you’ve memorized some of the basic procedures, it will help you react quickly and efficiently.
  4. It can make the difference between complete recovery and permanent disability.
  5. It can help you save a life.

So what should you do?  Be prepared and get the necessary First Aid and CPR training you need to contain a potentially lifesaving situation.  I would suggest that you get First Aid and CPR training for the entire family.  You never know what situation you and/or your family members might face. Everyone needs to be able to give First Aid.

There are a variety of excellent First Aid and CPR classes to attend.  The better classes are the ones that provide First Aid and CPR certification at the conclusion of the class.

The bottom line is being prepared to give First Aid and CPR quickly when the situation calls for it.  Get the training to make your summer season fun, happy, and safe.  Someone’s life may depend on it.

To get further information on quality CPR & First Aid classes go to the following links:

First Aid Training

CPR Training