Posts Tagged ‘Oakalnd CPR’

American Heart Association CPR & First-aid Class

In 1960, after the American Heart Association recognized the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, as an invaluable lifesaving skill, the United States launched a nationwide campaign to educate both medical professionals and volunteers on the correct method of administration.

In emergency medical situations, CPR can sustain life long enough for medical professionals to diagnose and treat victims. It is performed in a series of three steps. First, an unresponsive victim is assessed to determine whether or not they are breathing. If not, then intervals of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions are administered in a dual effort to provide air to the victim’s lungs and blood to the victim’s brain. This process of alternating intervals is continued until the victim begins to breathe again, or until medical professionals can assess, diagnose, and begin a course of treatment.

The most effective technique for the administration of CPR was developed by Dr. Peter Safar and Dr. James Elam. These two doctors were a part of the American Heart Association’s coordinated effort to educate medical professionals and volunteers on the proper administration of CPR during emergency medical situations.
Safar approached toymaker Asmund Laerdal, enlisting him to create a realistic mannequin for use in CPR training. Laerdal responded with a mannequin modeled after an anonymous woman whose body was fished out of the River Seine in Paris around the turn of the twentieth century (Snopes.com).
This woman’s features had originally been reproduced in the form of a death mask and had gained in popularity in Parisian society. Consequently, Laerdal had a reproduction of the death mask at the time of Safar’s request. While the woman may have died anonymously, Laerdal graced her memory in the form of a mannequin he created and sold with the name “Resci Anne.”

Though she has assumed several nicknames since her creation in 1960, perhaps she is most affectionately known and recognized in the United States as “Rescue Annie.” She has withstood the test of time, having been reproduced for over sixty years and counting; additionally, she has proven herself an essential component in any CPR training course and we at Berkeley CPR Courses agree .

Over the years, “Rescue Annie’s” family has grown to include other realistic mannequins to assist in CPR training. There is a male mannequin, “Rescue Randy,” as well as an infant mannequin, “Baby Resci.” In addition, a dark skinned Annie exists, as well as a line of products collectively known under the umbrella line of “Little Anne.” These products, along with the mannequins themselves, continue to be manufactured by Laerdal, the original toymaker responsible for the first “Rescue Annie.”

Once the American Heart Association recognized the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, it became a priority to not only raise national awareness of the lifesaving technique, but to also provide instruction on its proper administration. For this reason, the doctors who were responsible for developing the technique asked for assistance in the form of realistic mannequins to help aid them in CPR training courses as well as our own Berkeley CPR Certification Classes. “Rescue Annie” was the first of those mannequins, and for this reason, her name has become synonymous with CPR.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, usually called CPR, is a technique the helps to take over the task of circulating oxygen and blood to the body when a cardiac or pulmonary arrest occurs. This life-saving technique has a long history, and refinements in CPR’s implementation have helped to save the lives of millions of people around the world and STS of Berkeley hopes to train many more people so millions of more lives can be saved.

Ancient Writings

Efforts to help victims of drowning and other means of sudden death began early in the history of mankind.  Writings that go back to the ancient Mayan civilization make reference to methods of resuscitation. The Incans also mention resuscitation of people who suffered sudden collapse. Other writings of the past mention the use of a metal cannula inserted into the throat to induce respiration.

Mouth-to-mouth

Breathing into the mouth was an early development, mainly used to resuscitate babies and children in distress. Later, a type of bellows was development that pumped air into the patient. Warming the patient, bloodletting and fumigating with tobacco were also used.

Chest compressions

In the late 1800s, Dr. H.R. Silvester proposed a method of artificial respiration to help revive patients. This was an early form of CPR that was known as the “Silvester Method.” It was taught to medical personnel for many years. In this technique, the patient was laid on his back with arms extended above his head to help open airways.  In the 1900s, the patient’s position was changed to a face down pose with the head turned to the side and the palms downward. The back was then compressed and the patient’s elbows raised to force air into the lungs. This position was known as the “Holger Nielson Technique” and was used for many years. Old TV shows often show this older method of CPR.

CPR Advances

By the mid-20th century, medical researchers found that cardiac arrest patients were more likely to survive if both chest compressions and artificial respiration were used.  A formal method of teaching the technique was developed, and the effort to widely disperse this information began. This technique was taught extensively to the public for many years through the medical community, first aid courses and public health organizations.

Hands-Only CPR

As the decades passed, a body of data regarding outcomes of CPR use became available. Researchers noticed that in some circumstance, the use of the compressions alone provided sufficient blood flow to keep the person alive. Recently, the American Heart Association and STS of Berkeley began to advise students of CPR to use chest compressions alone, unless a specific breathing difficulty was a factor.  In cases of choking, drowning or other respiratory problems, mouth-to-mouth technique is still recommended.

The Future of CPR

Automatic devices that can do the compressions easily without manual assistance are already available. AEDs, automatic external defibrillators, which send an electrical charge to the heart to restart beating, can be found in airports, hotels and other establishments. These machines have been a great help in saving lives in everyday circumstances.  It is likely that new technologies will provide new developments to aid in rescuing people who are the victims of cardiac or pulmonary arrest. Safety Training Seminars also offers classes in AED training.