IN UR WORKPLACE, SAVIN UR LIFES

[deird_lj]

This morning I did a course in CPR.

I am now certified* in rolling people into recovery positions, clearing vomit/food/dentures/etc out of their mouths, whacking their chests in medically-approved ways to keep their blood flowing, and using defibrillators (the new non-doctor friendly variety that have really helpful diagrams, and voice activation to tell you what to do next: "ATTACH THE LEFT PAD", "STEP AWAY FROM THE PATIENT SO THAT YOU DON'T GET ELECTROCUTED", "CONTINUE CPR", and so forth).

Apparently the rules of CPR change quite regularly. Our instructor made a point of telling us all the things that were different compared to CPR three years ago, and all the stuff that might be changing once our medicine catches up with Japan.
From what he said, it looks like we now think the guidelines from 10 years ago got a lot of stuff wrong - and now we think that the people in the 70s might have been right all along...

*ie, I have a little piece of paper saying that I can

Comments

[shapinglight]

I have one of those pieces of paper too. Mind you, where I'm concerned, it's meaningless pretty much 5 minutes after the training session, as I've already forgotten everything - and we didn't even get to try the debfibrillator.

[deird1]

Yeah - I think, unless you make a habit of walking past people who are collapsed on the ground every day, you'll forget the training pretty quickly...

[taiba.livejournal.com]

I need to get my accreditation updated.

I'll do my level 2 again when I have money. Can't be bothered joining SJAA all over again.

[deird1]

This is one of the useful things about government work. They pay for courses like that.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Apparently the rules of CPR change quite regularly.

They do, they do. I have to have an up-date annually - and things like '3 rescue breaths' have come and gone, the speed at which you do the chest compressions has changed - and probably other things too.

But I think, when it came to it, I'd do whatever came most naturally - probably to the rhythm of Nelly the Elephant...

[deird1]

Hee! Apparently, Staying Alive is at the right rhythm too...

[fireflyfaery.livejournal.com]

Bah. The last I heard of it in a medical journal, the idea is now not to alternate breathing and pumping, but simply go nuts with the compressions as fast as you can and have someone with *really* strong lungs / hands (depending on situation and equipment) giving breaths while compressions are going on.

Also, awesome that your job pays for it. Mine doesn't. *grumble* In theory, I'm in that zone where I've been trained, my old level 2 has lapsed and I'm not a doctor so I'm not qualified even though I'VE USED DEFIBS BEFORE! Raar.

[deird1]

Something like that, yeah.

Public Service gets lots of this kind of stuff for free. It's great.