A recently published study the American Heart Association (AHA) has codified the five critical components of high-quality CPR and how victims often do not receive high-quality CPR because of provider ambiguity in prioritization of resuscitative efforts during a cardiac arrest.   In this article, we’ll be looking at exactly what those five critical components are and how their correct application could help reduce the 135 million cardiovascular deaths worldwide each year. Minimize Interruptions According to the AHA study, for adequate tissue oxygenation, it is essential that healthcare providers minimize interruptions in chest compressions and therefore maximize the amount of time..

If you’ve ever been in an emergency situation or watched a medical or military drama, you’ll no doubt have heard the word triage applied to the treatment of those in need. In this article, we’ll be looking at what that means, its history, and why it is still used today.  What is Triage? At its most basic level, triage is the process of determining the priority of patients' treatments by the severity of their condition or likelihood of recovery with and without treatment. The term comes from the French verb trier, meaning to separate, sort, shift, or select. Where Does..

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, requires a different approach depending on if it is being applied an adult a child or an infant. In this article, we’ll be looking at the three different types of CPR and how they should be applied. Adult CPR  Before applying CPR to an adult you should always call 911. Not only does this ensure that the emergency services are on their way as your perform CPR, but, if you are not trained in CPR, the 911 operator can guide you through hands-only CPR.   To use hands-on CPR, push hard and fast on the center..

Saying that heavy bleeding is a medical emergency seems fairly obvious, but what most people don’t realize is that you only need to lose around a fifth of your blood before your blood pressure starts to crash and your heart begins to struggle to pump an adequate supply of blood around your internal organs.   This lack of a supply of oxygenated blood advances to a condition called hypovolemic shock, and is ultimately deadly if left untreated.   So, all bleeding is dangerous, but not all bleeding is the same and the treatments are also different. In this article, we’ll..

Quick and effective application of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can double or triple the survival chances of someone suffering from a cardiopulmonary arrest.    While there is no replacement for the kind of affordable, quality CPR classes that Northwest offers, there are seven easy steps that you can use to assist someone who is experiencing a life-threatening emergency.     Call the emergency services - The first thing you should do in any emergency situation is to call the emergency services as fast as possible.    Not only does that mean that an ambulance will already be on its way, but..

According to 2014 data, nearly 45 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA )victims survived when bystander CPR was administered. However, the 2017 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics state that among the 356,000 OHCA that occurred, only around or 46% received bystander CPR.   Knowing how to perform CPR accurately can be the difference between saving a life or losing one. However, not everyone is aware of how to perform CPR, and even those who are can be unwilling to use those skills because of a fear of marking the situation worse.   Tech start-up the VanBerlo Agency is attempting to..

There is no doubt that CPR saves lives, but the method has been around since 1956 and not all cardiac arrest situations are the same, which means there have been attempts to improve on the tried and tested methods of CPR and some new methods developed to deal with specific circumstances.   In this article, we’ll be looking at some of these CPR alternatives. We are not suggesting you use any of them. Stick to the CPR techniques you have been trained to use and let the qualified EMS staff try the more complicated stuff. High-Frequency Chest Compressions High-frequency chest..

When someone stops breathing, or the heart stops beating, he or she typically can survive for only 4 to 6 minutes before lack of oxygen can result in brain damage or death and over 70% of all cardiac and breathing emergencies occur in the home when a family member is present and available to help a victim.   The American Heart Association estimates that 100,000 to 200,000 lives of adults and children could be saved each year if CPR were performed early enough, however, women are 27% less likely than men to receive CPR from bystanders in public.   Research..

There is no denying that CPR saves lives. It is estimated that around 200,000 adults and children in the US are saved every year from the prompt application of CPR. According to 2014 data, nearly 45 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims survived when bystander CPR was administered.    However, to be effective, CPR must be continuous and emergency circumstances often prohibit this. Paramedics needing to evacuate a casualty from a building often cannot perform CPR at the same time. However, a new breed of Automated CPR Machines could be the solution to this problem. Automated CPR In place of..

Coronary heart disease accounted for approximately 13% of deaths in the US in 2016, causing 363,452 deaths. According to data from 2005 to 2014, the estimated annual incidence of a heart attack in the US was 605,000 new attacks and 200,000 recurrent attacks.   That means that in the United States in 2019, coronary events are expected to occur in about 1,055,000 individuals, including 720,000 new and 335,000 recurrent coronary events.    Approximately every 40 seconds, an American will have a myocardial infarction and 370,000 of those who do suffer a heart attack will die.   With numbers that large,..