1. Lawyers

2. That has a great deal to do with it everyone suing everyone for anything it taught some many not to get involved.I still think it should be learned for at least your family members.

3. Compression only CPR is promoted for a number of reasons:
   1. Turns out, in real situations, people are a little grossed out by the idea of putting their mouth on a dead stranger’s along with being concerned (rightly or not) with disease.
   2. Ensuring that chest compressions are uninterrupted is far more important than trying to replenish blood oxygen stores (which are unlikely to be depleted for some time).
   3. Mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths from a single rescuer are pretty terrible at actually oxygenating blood.

   In other words, compression only CPR is *better* for bystanders to deliver than old school CPR and easier to teach.
   (That is to say, if you don’t remember exactly how many steps there were in administering CPR, what are the odds you remember what the steps are?)

   Oh, and “Another One Bites The Dust” is another 100bpm song appropriate (well, maybe not *appropriate* but you know what I mean) for timing compressions.

   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23439400
   http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/122/16_suppl_2/S298.short

   Anyway, the American Red Cross still offers both CPR and First Aid training and many schools offer their classes.

   http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/program-highlights/cpr-first-aid

   1. Agreed. Best data available is that high quality compressions outweigh the generally poor quality ventilation in the field. Plus, every time you pause for breaths, you delay circulation. If you’re doing CPR as a team with a bag and an airway, it’s a different story. Otherwise, compress away.

      1. Two years ago they were teaching compressions only (on adults- for kids they were still teaching mouth to mouth as their problems are less likely to be heart related and they are less likely to be diseased). I just got recertified yesterday and they are back to teaching two breathes between compressions (with the proper ppe)…

4. What happened? Mandatory standardized testing at all grade levels. The amount of prep work and pre-testing eats up more hours than teachers can afford to spare already, and they cannot afford to lose even more for a non-curriculum event. Mike McDaniel talked about this for a bit on his blog, https://statelymcdanielmanor.wordpress.com/, specifically this series: https://statelymcdanielmanor.wordpress.com/2014/06/06/the-tyranny-of-testing-part-v/

5. You’ve pointed out a subset of the problem. The larger problem is the total misuse of the word “First” and how it’s been redefined. As in “First responder”. Everyone now thinks that police, fire and medical are “first responders” and you no longer have to do anything because they’re “first”. So-called “modern” thinking consists of comforting the dying while medical is called. Getting out and watching your house burn to the ground while the firemen are called. And dying while the police are called.

   Sorry, *I’m* the first responder, they’re all *second* responders. I will render aid, fight the fire and defend myself while waiting for the *second* responders to arrive.

   Example: Some years ago I was talking to a reported and was going to draw the time-proven analogy between guns and fire extinguishers. I opened with “You have a fire extinguisher at home, right? To which the response was “no”. You can’t even start educating someone like that.

   O2

6. If you have a local volunteer fire/EMS dept, consider volunteering. You can certify as an EMT and learn great skills for future self defense. As a volunteer, you can regularly practice your skill set, just as you should practice shooting skills. I found out that I really enjoy emergency medicine and have certed as an ALS EMT and can admin IVs and advanced airways. This may not be for everybody. Still contact your local depts and see if they teach first aid and CPR for community members. The training is free or steeply discounted at my location. The dept does this because they agree with the above commentator that the true first responder is the person at the scene. When we come up to a scene and have a samaritan give us a clear description of the sit and have rendered aid, the pt outcome is improved tremendously.

   1. OK people, this is good advice. Also, do not only see it as helping others, but a way to help yourself if you get injured.

7. FEMA replaced Civil Defense. It’s hard now to even find the Civil Defense materials. We took a CD first aid course during our sophomore year in HS, in ’66-’67. We were even taught how to deliver a baby.
   Like in every other field, the libs have actively done everything they can to “dumb-down” the people

8. We live in a society where help is expected at the end of a cell phone call. Treatment and rescue is the responsibility of a third-party.

   I know reports of an ill-prepared family who became lost (overnight!) at the edge of a car campground and another, a rather common occurrence, where hikers wearing shorts and a t-shirt were caught in a snowstorm (Mt. Washington). Both were ill-prepared in terms of clothing, navigation and survival items but carried cell phones and expected help to be a call away.

   Then there’s the case of the thirsty hikers calling, on a cell of course, and demanding a search-and-rescue team to bring them water.

   Individualism, preparedness and caution is lost to people.

9. For First Aid, take a step above the normal stuff and go for a Wilderness First Aid certification. Try a SOLO course in WFA. Remember, if you’re in a power-out situation then you’re probably in the ‘wilderness’. 🙂

Comments are closed.