doing CPR
“Are you OK?!”
He was flat on the ground and wasn’t moving. I tapped his shoulders and then gently shook him.
“Sir, are you OK?” I asked again. No response. I placed my ear near his mouth. I heard nothing. Felt nothing. He wasn’t breathing. I kicked into high gear and started administering CPR. Thirty chest compressions. Two breaths. Thirty chest compressions. Two breaths.
And then I stopped. Not because the CPR was successful, but because he was plastic… and because it was time to learn about AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators).
You probably didn’t know that June 1-7 is National CPR and AED Awareness Week. Neither did I — until I read a short article in the newspaper yesterday notifying the community that Emergency Prep, a local CPR/First Aid/AED training organization, was offering free CPR and AED instruction (not certification) classes today.
We each got to practice on our own mannequin that made a clicking noise when the chest was sufficiently compressed. And when I tilted his head back, pinched his nose, and breathed into the perfectly sanitary mouth, the simulated airway caused his chest to rise. I realize that nursing students and med students get to use far more high-tech patient simulators (like SimMan), but I thought it was pretty cool.
I know a lot more about CPR and AEDs than I did prior to this evening, but I obviously hope I never have to put my hour and a half of training to use. And if I’m ever in need of CPR, I certainly hope nobody has to pull out a little CPR quick-reference guide to remind them what to do!
JDT said,
Friday, June 5, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I hope you called 911 first.
Bone said,
Monday, June 8, 2009 at 10:00 am
Wow, SimMan is $27,000?!?! I can’t imagine a real person costing much more than that.
r8chel said,
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 at 12:17 pm
JDT: Nope, the EMT was already there.
Bone: I bet parents could.