CPR / AED Certifications

[Isk8NYC]

At the PSA conference last week, Paul Wylie made a heartfelt request for more people to become CPR/AED certified since that training saved his life after his heart stopped during a workout. 

http://www.today.com/health/olympic-skater-paul-wylie-opens-about-heart-stopping-health-scare-t56521

Our facility offers Red Cross classes for life guarding, first aid and CPR. No AED, although we do have it on site; maybe it's included with the CPR course.  Another question he asked was if we knew WHERE the AED is in our rink.  I checked before our competition last month, but what if it was moved last week?  It was a good question so I checked today. 

I have to renew my certifications so I started researching my options.

The rink offers a combined CPR/First Aid for $200, $350 includes lifeguard certification as well.
The local Red Cross has a combined First Aid/CPR/AED course for both kids and adults for $110.
I'll have to take a day off work, but I think it will be okay with the office.

Any other suggestions?  Anyone else planning to take/renew their certifications?

[lutefisk]

Some workplaces cover the cost of these courses.  Mine does.  Every two years we get refresher training.  If your employer doesn't cover this it may be a topic worth bringing up at a staff meeting.

[Query]

The Red Cross website

  http://www.redcross.org

gives you ways of locating classes, in the USA. Most are substantially cheaper than the ones you listed, because they don't include lifeguard training.

Instead of lifeguard training, some of you may want to get training related to your other sports. E.g., some outdoor clubs require a specific type of training for trip leaders. Say, Wilderness First Aid (the regular first aid classes assume medical help will arrive within about 30 minutes, which isn't usually valid in wilderness situations, or in high traffic urban areas), Swiftwater Rescue, PADI (scuba first aid) training. There can be pretty big differences - e.g., the back support devices used in search and rescue situations, or in rock climbing rescues, are a lot different from the ones used in pool lifeguard classes. But a Red Cross first aid/CPR and possibly AED class is a good reasonably inexpensive starting point, even if you take something else later.

I suggest you contact your Red Cross center to find out if it is possible to buy the Red Cross training materials ahead of time, so you can be more sure to pass the certification tests, and avoid paying to retake the class.

[Twizzler]

In my city the local medical alliance (aka Dr's wives club) offers CPR certification for free or very low cost. you might look for that. the Med Alliances are set up by county here, so search on google for your city or county and medical alliance.

[Query]

A lot of fire departments, and coast guard offices, offer cheap first aid/CPR training too. But usually without AED.

AEDs are too expensive to expect them in most homes, and too expensive and prone to water damage for many marine applications. But many ice rinks have an AED.

BTW, while dramatic saves, like Paul Wylie, make CPR training seem very attractive, as do some TV shows, studies have shown that when CPR is used by non-professional rescuers (e.g., non-EMTs), for heart attack victims, the person is only saved about 1-2% of the time. Full recovery is even rarer. (Look it up...)

The stats for AEDs are somewhat better - as those that make them have widely advertised.

(However, CPR used to evacuate water from the lungs of drowning victims, by Red Cross certified lifeguards, within a few seconds of the incident, it USUALLY works.)

I think that having first aid supplies and an efficient procedure for contacting emergency services after an injury - something many rinks don't have (e.g., many want you to fill out paperwork first, or have no procedure at all) - is much more important than first aid/CPR/AED training. (At my rink, rink guards and other staff without recent first aid/CPR/AED certification are not allowed to touch anyone who appears injured, or who has fallen.) There are much more common severe injuries at ice rinks than heart attacks!

OTOH, in the sue-happy U.S., a rink that doesn't have certified people and an AED on hand might be sued just have that. Unfortunately, they are also often sued after unsuccessful rescue attempts, which as indicated, are the vast majority of cases. They may also be sued because CPR usually breaks the ribs. There are "Good Samaritan" laws to protect unpaid rescuers - but paid staff are not always covered by that.

That said, I have personally witnessed a successful drowning victim CPR.