Entry bubble CPR saves lives

By: Jess | June 04, 2009 | Category: Health

A few years back when I was working at the gym on my college campus, a girl in one of the kickboxing classes sort of slumped down against the back wall of the room and then passed out. The teacher immediately stopped the class, cleared the room, had someone call 911 and sent me running for the AED (Automated External Defibrillator) the lifeguards kept by the pool.

The lifeguard and I almost slammed into each other on the steps before we both turned around and ran back to the aerobics room. By the time we got back, the girl was conscious again and was able to answer a few basic questions the instructor was asking her. Not long after the paramedics showed up.

I'm glad no one needed to use their CPR/AED training that day, but every single one of us in the room would have known exactly what to do if we needed to because we were all certified as a requirement of the job.

As part of National CPR/AED Awareness Week, which runs from June 1-7, the Red Cross encourages people to take a training course so they can provide aid during an emergency.

Some of the skills you learn include how to help someone who is choking, how to perform CPR and how to operate an AED.

It's a great skill for parents to have to keep children safe, especially in the summer months if your kids are swimmers.

The American Heart Association and the Red Cross are the two organizations that offer the most widely recognized programs. If you have time, look at the schedules for both and see if you can spare a few hours to learn CPR. It's a life-saving skill, and you never know when you may need to use it.

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