I got recertified in Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED at the local Red Cross. My first CPR class was in 1973 0r 1974 when you were supposed to do like 13 steps to perform it. We are down to about 4 steps while humming “Staying Alive” (OK, that is American Heart Association and not Red Cross.)
Good news: if you want to take classes, the “theory” is done online and brings down the actual class time to 2 hours or less depending on how many people are attending. My only complaint is taht choke (unchoke) training can be done “contactless” because of covid. You basically mime the procedure. Silly if you ask me as you cannot mime a piece of food out of somebody who is chocking for real.
I did learn a new way to do CPR on babies. The old one (still valid) is what I call the Kung Fu touch of Death where you use the index and middle finger to do compressions.
The latest version I like because it uses gross motor skills and natural squeeze with the hands:
Goes without saying I would recommend you take the class, especially if you never had one. Just like basic CCW training, it teaches you the “pew-pew” on its most basic form and you get started on the path of lifesaving skills.
Good job. Now schedule a class at Stopthebleed.org
The two-handed compressions for gumbies was designed when there are 2 rescuers. That should have been mentioned in class (it is in American Heart and I am an instructor). Just sayin’. I’m glad that you took the class.
Also a good class.
The missus and I recently got re-certified, too.
RE: “Stayin’ Alive” — Our instructor told us a funny story. He runs the class for all ages, including teenagers involved in the local Search & Rescue groups. In one recent class, nobody knew “Stayin’ Alive”; they’d never heard the song and didn’t know who the Bee Gees were! He realized, he’s going to have to come up with some alternative tracks with the right tempo that the young’ins will know. He tried Rick-rolling them (Rick Astin’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”, which also works), but settled on the ever-popular “Imperial March” from Star Wars (think: Darth Vader’s theme).
It seems, given the timelessness of the original movies and the continuation of the series in recent years, everyone knows that one. 🙂
@Archer: “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen is also 100 beats per minutes.
Why did this look like a simulation from ‘Dexter’ to me? Oh, the plastic over the face.
I just renewed my AHA certification a few weeks ago during my EMT NCCP class. I have performed real CPR so many times in my life I have lost count. Never a save, but got pulses back once that allowed the family to say goodbye before he passed away. That was the very first time I ever did it, and it was my Mom’s former boss at her retirement party. This took place on the dance floor of the banquet facility in front of about 200 guests. The victim’s wife and family were grateful for my efforts.
I first learned CPR in 1973, as a student working in a research lab at a local medical school. I taught CPR for the Red Cross from the late 1970s into the early 1990s. I was last certified a couple of years ago, in a county CERT training. It’s probably past time to re-up. The funniest bit I remember in a CPR course was one taught in a kiddie-school classroom. When we were practicing with baby mannequins, one of my sons grabbed a Tickle Me Elmo doll off a shelf (about the same size as the CPR baby), and started doing compressions, while the doll kept saying, ‘Hey, that tickles!”
I can see that the two-thumbs compression might be easier to remember, but my engineering sense sees it as wrong to align the pressure across the sternum, rather than in line with it.
YMMV….
@Ivan: See my comment above.
Miguel: good on’ya for taking the class. You might find yourself the first responder at some scene or other, and I personally am happier knowing other responses that “run in circles….”
I’ve got a few stories…..