Axios NWA Does: First aid and CPR
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
I once left a community pool in a bathing suit and a tortilla-print towel when I saw an older woman slumped over in a vehicle with her eyes shut on a hot day.
😳 I shouted politely, "Ma'am?! Ma'am?!" She quickly woke up and assured me she was fine.
🌯 After the short-lived alarm and then relief, I thought: I am dressed as a human burrito. I should not be in charge during an emergency.
- Then came an even worse thought: I have no idea what to do in most medical emergencies other than call 911.
💪 Why it matters: The good news is that this education is widely available. While I don't compare to a professional, I am infinitely more equipped to potentially save someone's life after undergoing a whopping five hours of training through the American Red Cross.
- If that five hours ever helps someone in cardiac arrest breathe, saves a choking baby or stops someone from bleeding out, that was time well-invested.
- If you've built learning these things up in your head as a big undertaking, it's not.
⛑️ How it works: I signed up for an online and in-person class offered at the Bentonville Community Center. Completing the online portion was required beforehand, which was efficient because I got a good overview from the modules and videos.
- I came in with questions and ready for hands-on training like practicing CPR on a mannequin.
- The class I took was adult and pediatric first aid and CPR. The American Red Cross offers several online and in-person courses at various price points around NWA.
🚨 Zoom in: The bulk was dedicated to properly giving CPR, including how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
- I learned what to do if someone is choking; how to care for someone who is bleeding excessively; and the differences between caring for an adult, child or infant who needs CPR or is choking.
- The training also covered other common medical events like allergic reactions, seizures or extreme temperature-related emergencies.
- Online-only training is hands-down better than no training, but having an in-person instructor show you correct techniques and know you're getting them right is so valuable.
Case in point: It's the little, but important things that don't always stick from a video. You tilt back an adult's head while giving breaths during CPR, but not an infant's.
- And you give breaths before compressions to a drowning victim.
‼️ The bottom line: You don't have to wait for a scare or worse to learn this stuff. Also, always call 911 during an emergency, even if you're in a tortilla towel.