Compressions CPR Classes

Hello to all and welcome to Compressions CPR. For my first post I wanted to give a brief idea as to just why we are here. The future ones may be a bit livelier while this one is full of facts.

I have been a RN for over 35 years and teaching CPR to those in medicine for over 15. Many things have grown and changed over the years and now with starting my own business I want to pass them on to you. CPR is not just for those in the hospital or doctors office to use but it is there for all of us.

The very first form of CPR was done in 1740 when The Paris Academy of Science recommended mouth to mouth resuscitation for drowning victims. In 1891 Dr. Friedrich Maass performed the first documented chest compressions on humans. Shortly after that in 1903 the first successful use of external chest compressions for human resuscitation was done by Dr. George Crile. The United States military adopted mouth to mouth in 1957 to revive unresponsive victims. Everything changed in 1960 when the American Heart Association began formal training of CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) to medical staff and lay people. Over the next 50 years things have grown and evolved into what we use today.

Every 90 seconds someone somewhere suffers a heart attack. Local EMS systems treat over 300,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests each year. Less than 8% of these individuals survive that event, mainly due to the fact that only about 1/3 of them get bystander CPR. If bystander CPR would be done to every out of hospital cardiac arrest the survival rate could double or even triple.

No one is really too young to learn, studies have shown that children as young as 9 can learn and retain CPR skills. This in itself is very important since around 5,900 children suffer out of hospital cardiac arrest every year.

The chain of survival has 4 links they are:
1. Recognize the emergency
2. Call 9-1-1
3. Begin Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
4. Use and AED (Automatic External defibrillator)

We should all strive to be as good as Seattle Washington. While most of the country has a EMS response time of from 8 to 11 minutes, Seattle has a time of 8’46” call to shock. They also have over 11% of their general population trained in bystander CPR. Maybe that is why the survival rate of out of hospital cardiac arrest there is >45%. Now that is a big jump from the 8% previously stated.

Well there you have it, the reasons for Compressions CPR. We are here to help you, your family, friends co-workers and clients live and be safer in our daily activities.