Gain Insight Into These Basic Lifesaving Skills

 Emergencies are always unexpected, you never know when you might find yourself faced with an emergency. What you can do is stay prepared to deal with an untoward emergency efficiently. During an emergency, it’s often those people near the victim who provide assistance before the emergency medical services. Your knowledge in a few basic lifesaving skills can mean the difference between life and death for someone (a friend, loved one, or anyone else in your company). A good amount of training in these lifesaving techniques can come in handy and drastically improve outcome for patients long-term.

It is unfortunate that any kind of an accident can show up out of nowhere as you go along with the day. The key to sailing through these situations is for more people to have the knowledge and experience of lifesaving skills. Learning some valuable lifesaving techniques will have you covered in most types of emergencies, including cardiac emergencies like a cardiac arrest or heart attack.  

Outlining the basic lifesaving skills everyone should know:

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) - If someone has a cardiac arrest, administering CPR in the first few minutes increases a victim’s chances of survival by 90 percent. When the heart stops during a cardiac arrest, CPR manually pumps blood and oxygen to the brain and organs to keep the victim alive until the arrival of EMS. Proper CPR training is the best way to learn this technique.

AED Use- Training for AED is imparted in the CPR classes itself. An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable emergency device (available in most public places) that delivers a shock to the victim’s heart through their chest (only when needed) based on the person’s heart rhythm. It is an easy-to-use device where the person using it is guided through the steps of using the device via voice narration.

Recognizing a heart attack or stroke- The key to someone’s survival of a cardiac arrest, heart attack or stroke is prompt action (treatment), which is only possible with quick recognition of the signs and symptoms. The sooner you recognize the situation, the faster will you act and dial 911 and the quicker will the patient receive treatment.

1.      Heart attack warning signs- Chest discomfort lasting for more than a few minutes, or coming back more than once, which somewhat feels like uncomfortable squeezing, fullness, pressure, or pain. Other warning signs include shortness of breath, cold sweat, light-headedness, nausea, and/or discomfort in other areas of the body.

2.      Stroke warning signs- face drooping/numbness, arm weakness, and speech difficulty.

Few other life saving skills to learn:

1.      Using the bandage (to control bleeding)

2.      Heimlich maneuver (treatment for choking victims)

3.      First aid for burning

4.      Preventing Hypothermia (a significant and potentially dangerous drop in body temperature)

5.      Revive someone from drowning

Predicting when emergency medical situations will happen is not in your hands, what is in your hands though is to prepare how to respond to them safely and effectively. Knowing what to do, when you need to do it, and confidently acting upon it in view of an emergency can be critical in saving someone’s life. Gaining insight into these aforementioned skills will make you confident and help you recognize there is a need, which can mean the difference between life and death in an emergency.

To undergo CPR and AED training for cardiac emergencies, register for a CPR class today. Contact CPR Tampa in Palm Harbor at 727-240-9404 to register for a class today. Emergencies do not come with warnings — it can happen anytime, anywhere and to anybody. CPR is an essential life skill that will make you emergency ready.