Today was CPR day. Got re-certified because I let mine expire. I figured that taking the class would cost me somewhere around $50 and if I waited until I had a job I might get someone else to pay for it AND pay me while I took it. So today was the day. Quote of the day, "Remember, your patient is DEAD! You can't make it any worse. If they aren't breathing, do it for them. If they don't have a pulse give 'em one." OK, I can do that! But new mommies aren't supposed to need CPR so I probably will attend my next CPR certification class and raise my hand AGAIN as a person who has never done CPR. In April I get to go to a three day class on neonatal resuscitation. That should be pretty interesting. Also hopefully not needed (but probably more likely to actually need it!)
And if you come upon a person not breathing and with no pulse the newest recommendations are that bystanders do not have to give mouth to mouth any more. Just push hard and fast on their chest. If you hear ribs cracking you are probably pushing hard enough. Also if a bystander can feel a pulse in the victims neck while you are compressing you are probably doing it hard enough. The compressions are hard enough to force air into the lungs. And when people don't have to deal with the yuck factor of mouth to mouth they are much more likely to actually give CPR. And when people who are DEAD get CPR they are more likely to end up as people NOT DEAD. (Just considering DEAD as a viable possibility because the cracked ribs hurt so much!)
Sheesh. Is it okay that I'd like to require my babysitters to know CPR but not myself?
ReplyDeleteI remember learning the info you're sharing now. But eek.
Hey, just so you know - it's me, Teri. I commented while logged into a different account. Oops.
ReplyDelete