Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the most effective technique for saving the life of a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) victim. Regarding such health emergencies, 65% of Americans have received CPR instruction, but only 18% remain current with their life-saving skills.
Unfortunately, that number is not high enough, as CPR has a significant impact on cardiac arrest survival. If performed properly and immediately, bystander CPR can double or even triple the chances of OHCA survival. Cardiac arrest is more likely to happen at home (73.4%), and being prepared can make a huge difference as your knowledge could save a life.
Learning how to perform CPR is a skill everyone can acquire as it’s not only provided for healthcare professionals or first responders. Attending CPR classes will help you learn how to apply CPR techniques to help SCA victims in different scenarios. In this article, we explore how to recognize the signs of SCA and discover accessible CPR training in Austin, Texas.
Cardiac Arrest Symptoms
The first step in recognizing what to do in an emergency is to notice the symptoms of cardiac arrest. Although SCA happens without any warning signs, you may see the victim has:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest discomfort
- Heart palpitations
These can lead to cardiac arrest, which you can recognize by:
- Sudden collapse
- Unresponsiveness and loss of consciousness
- No heart activity and pulse
- No breathing
Risk Factors for SCA
Cardiac arrest can happen in various situations, including a direct blow to the chest, choking, near drowning, electrocution, or drug overdose. Still, several health factors make one more susceptible to SCA:
- A family history of heart disease
- Previous heart attack
- Arrhythmia
- High blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Diabetes
- Sedentary lifestyle
What’s CPR Training?
CPR training is a class you must take in order to gain knowledge on how to confidently and effectively act in life-or-death situations. CPR training equips you with the skills to keep a person’s blood circulation in cases of OHCA to avoid severe brain injury or organ failure. A well-executed CPR can double or triple the likelihood of survival in an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. CPR certification is a credential that qualifies you to perform a life-saving technique on someone who has a cardiac arrest.
Accessible CPR Training in Austin
Quality CPR training is widely available, and if you’re in Austin, Texas, you can schedule your CPR training course designed according to the standards of the American Heart Association (AHA). You can attend different CPR classes depending on the certification you need.
Types of CPR Certification
There are 4 types of certification you can get with CPR training, such as:
- Level A CPR. This is a basic level of CPR training designed for the general public. Level A classes are suitable for people who want to learn the basics of CPR dealing with adults and do not contain infant, and child CPR procedures. They also cover choking procedures, the usage of AED, and early defibrillation.
- Level B CPR. In this course, you learn the basics of CPR adults, children, and infants, choking procedures for each age group, AED usage, and CPR techniques included in level A. This level is useful to parents, grandparents, babysitters, or childcare workers who might encounter emergencies with all age groups.
- Level C CPR. It’s a more comprehensive course than both A and B levels. In this course you learn CPR techniques for children, infants, and adults and two-rescuer procedures. It encompasses complete CPR skills, First Aid, AED usage, how to deal with airflow obstruction. This type of CPR provides adequate training for first responders and employees in high-risk workplaces to be prepared in an emergency.
- HCP level CPR. HCP (healthcare provider) CPR is also known as Basic Life Support (BLS) training. BLS is a certification required for medical personnel trained to use various medical devices, such as a bag valve mask and an AED, and to acquire comprehensive knowledge of life-saving techniques. This is an in-depth course intended for healthcare professionals.
What You Learn in CPR Classes
During the training, you’ll learn how to restore heart function and breathing to an SCA victim by using the following:
- hands-on-chest compression,
- rescue breaths
- AED device
Once you finish your course, you will have the skill set to potentially save a life in real-world circumstances. CPR training is necessary to help a person in need by applying the correct techniques with confidence.
Average Costs of CPR Training
With CPR training available almost anywhere, the pricing of quality CPR classes in Austin is one of the most important factors people take into consideration when choosing where to get their certification. Most organizations that provide training charge between $60 and $130, accounting for the training and the certificate after completion.
Validity of a CPR Certification
If you’re in an organization that requires CPR certification, then maintaining the validity of your certification is very important. All CPR certifications last two years and must be renewed after that.
The process for renewal involves re-taking the course and completing a final exam. It ensures people with CPR certifications are always up to date with the latest CPR techniques, standards, and regulations.
How to Pick a CPR Training Course?
You should consider several things when looking for a CPR training course. First, you need to know what type of classes you want to take. Then, check the level of training that you need and whether the training providers are well-known organizations accredited by The Red Cross or the American Heart Association.
There are different lengths of training classes, but on average, they last between 2 and 5 hours. To make choosing a good CPR training course easier, we’ve collected a few criteria to help you determine the kind of classes you need to take.
Type of Classes
There are online, blended, or traditional classes. Blended and conventional courses with a hands-on approach are much more credible regarding CPR training. You need to know how to do a task practically, so we wouldn’t recommend online classes that do not include physical practice during CPR training.
The Level of CPR Training
Whether you have to go through a CPR training course because of OSHA-mandated work requirements or you voluntarily want to learn how to be confident in your skills to save a life, both play a role in choosing your training course. If your job requires you to know how to perform CPR as a healthcare provider or a lifeguard, you will need an extensive course, including First Aid, AED training, and a CPR course.
Special courses will help you in different emergency scenarios. For example, if you need CPR training because you work with children and have to keep them safe, you should specifically take child and infant CPR classes. If you work at a place with an AED machine and you want to make sure you know how to use it properly, choose a course that includes AED training. So, check with your employer and assess your current needs for the appropriate CPR training level.
Accreditation of the CPR Training Provider
Make sure to get your CPR training delivered by professionals who are certified CPR instructors. A good sign is whether they apply the AHA or American Red Cross standards in the training program.
Rescue Breathing
Despite introducing the hands-only CPR model, rescue breaths remain a necessary CPR technique. You will learn to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a practice model, a sanitized manikin used solely for the purpose of performing CPR during training.
Inclusivity in Action
CPR training facilities show inclusivity in action by offering classes that are accessible to anyone in Austin and tailored to people who cannot participate in the usual scheduling times. These include carers for family members with disabilities or people with disabilities who can be CPR-trained in their homes.
Additionally, accessible CPR training includes holding classes for larger companies at their workplace. Instead of attending group classes at the facility, instructors offer courses wherever you are.
Final Words
Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone for various reasons and in different situations. Prompt and correct CPR increases the chance of survival, so CPR training is instrumental to keeping a person alive until EMTs arrive. Accessible CPR training in Austin ensures you get the knowledge of the CPR techniques crucial to saving someone’s life, and attending a CPR course will enable you to provide vital assistance to an SCA victim and contribute to the safety of Austin residents.