3 First Aid Myths
Having medical training or knowing how to do CPR is a handy skill to have. In any emergency situation, it can save a person’s life and make all the difference between life and death. However, many people seem to have several misunderstandings when it comes to CPR. Read this article to avoid falling for some of these misconceptions.
Misconceptions in Medical Training
Myth #1: Only sick and old people need CPR.
Reality: Cardiac arrest can hit anyone. One minute a person can be doing fine and the next, he could be on the floor unconscious. Statistics from the “Centers for Disease and Prevention” shows that every 43 seconds a person suffers from a heart attack in the U.S., and this means that in order to help, more and more people need to learn CPR. Almost 70 percent of Americans don’t even know the first thing to do if someone suffers from cardiac arrest. So, there’s a lot of ground that still needs to be made up.
Myth #2: Adult and Child CPR is the same.
Reality: Many of the steps to administer CPR to a child or adult are very similar but still contain significant nuances you’ll need to consider. For example, while doing chest compressions, we exert less pressure on kids. On small children and infants, sometimes one hand is sufficient to perform CPR.
Also, if a child is found unresponsive, they need to be administered CPR for 2 minutes before the rescuer leaves to call for help.
Myth #3: In first aid, we do mouth to mouth resuscitation all the time.
Reality: Rescue breaths should strictly be reserved for when we have some sort of barrier device. Without one, it is best to rely on compressions only. There is little difference in survival outcomes for those who receive breaths vs. those who do not.
To enroll in a CPR, BLS or ACLS certification course, contact us at Vitali. We offer many classes including CPR/AED, First Aid, ACLS, etc. With our classes, students can learn from highly experienced medical professionals. If you don’t see a course you are looking for? Feel free to contact us and we will be glad to help set it up.
