AEDs can be a critical part of survival for anyone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, which is the leading cause of death in the United States.  As we have shared in the past, sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, and at any time.  Minutes count and CPR along with AEDs are most effective tools to help restore a heart rhythm.

Did you know that after calling 9-1-1 the average response time for a first responder is approximately 6-12 minutes and according to the American Red Cross every minute you are delayed reduces your chance of survival by 10%?  Again, minutes count….

What can you do to make sure you are ready for a sudden cardiac arrest emergency?

1. Make sure you and your family know First Aid & CPR! Make sure to include your children in the learning process and continue to talk about what to do in case of an emergency.  CPR Choice offers classes all over East TN and it’s our passion to equip our students with the skills needed to help save a life.   Remember—most incidents occur at home, which means you’ll be learning the skills to save a loved one.
2. Make sure you have access to an AED. Check around your office, school or place of business –the cost of the machine is well worth the life it could save.   And no need to worry if you can operate one in a medical emergency situation- the AEDs are designed to walk you thru the steps in an easy to use format.  Visit AEDChoice.com for more info.

So just how easy are AEDs to use?  One word—simple!   AEDS provide basic instructions and diagrams for use.  All the items needed are contained in the AED itself and all you have to do is turn it on, apply the pads in the appropriate spots and follow directions.  Don’t forget to call 911 or have someone call, have someone get the AED, and remember CPR should be administered while the AED is being located and set up.

The AED will automatically determine the heart rhythm of a pulseless victim and if the victim needs a shock it will act.  This shock will attempt to restore the victim’s heart.  When the heart is in ventricular fibrillation or v-fib, the heart is still receiving nerve impulses.  These impulses are so out of sync keeping the heart from producing a regular beat.  As you know, when the heart doesn’t beat it’s unable to pump blood and oxygen throughout the body.  This could cause the body to be deprived of oxygen causing brain cells to die in a matter of 4-5 minutes.

CPR Choice also sells AEDs, provides you with training and also helps you determine the best place for storage as well as maintenance support.  Contact us today to schedule a First Aid, CPR & AED course for you, your family and place of employment.   We offer classes all over East Tennessee and we also offer onsite training.  Visit CPRChoice.com for our training options!

Here in East Tennessee, we are blessed with distinct season and summer is one of my favorites! Rosy checks, shorts and Chacos quickly become the dress code. As you venture out for summer activities, make sure you and your family are prepared for the unexpected- water safety and heat stroke.

Water safety should be a high priority! Swimming is a popular summer activity and preparing yourself and your family is key. Did you know that drowning accounts for over 4000 deaths each year? One way to help reduce the number of victims is to make sure everyone has enrolled in swim lessons and/or use life vests properly to ensure safety.

Be on the lookout for these signs of drowning:

• Drowning victims tend to be quiet and normally don’t make a lot of noise.
• If people are missing, especially children, look in the water first. The victims can appear to be lethargic and/or will be found unresponsive either floating in the water or submerged.

Quick action is required for a positive outcome for a drowning victim. The quicker they are removed from the water and first aid administered the greater the chance of recovery. What should you do if you find someone with signs of drowning?

1. Check to see if the victim is conscious or unconscious.
2. Ask someone to call 9-1-1 and get an automated external defibrillator (AED).
3. Attempt to remove the victim from the water. Perform “rescue breathing” if necessary. This can be started in the water, but all other care requires the victim to be out of the waters.
4. Once out of the water
   1. If the victim is breathing place them on their side in the recovery position to prevent aspiration, which is inhaling vomit into the lungs.
   2. If the victim is not breathing and has no pulse, start CPR immediately. Continue CPR until a medical emergency person or another trained individual
5. Be on the lookout for dry drowning or secondary drowning too. This can occur up to 24 hours after swimming. Monitor breathing, listen for a persistent cough, chest pain, mental status and pay attention to skin color. Call 911 if you suspect dry drowning- the victim will need oxygen supplementation.

Heat Stroke is another dangerous situation that will require immediate medical attention. Heatstroke occurs when your core body temperature rises above 104 degrees Fahrenheit, causing your internal organs to not function property. Heatstroke also called sunstroke, is a result of external environmental factors, such as being outside or exerting yourself physically on a very hot day. Susceptibility to heat stroke increases with age, weight, some medications and your medical history. Keep in mind, some heart medications, such as beta blocker, calcium channel blockers and diuretics can cause the body to have an adverse reaction to the heat.

What can you do if you suspect someone is experiencing Heatstroke?

1. Instruct someone to call 9-1-1, heatstroke is life-threatening.
2. Attempt to cool the patient’s body. Get them out of the sun, provide them with a cool drink (no caffeine) and use cool air to fan them.

CPR Choice offers first aid training to help prepare you and your family in these types of medical emergencies. Having the skills to perform CPR in an emergency can make the difference between life and death. Sign up for a class today. Visit www.cprchoice.com and chose a convenient location & class. We offer classes all over the East Tennessee area and our instructors are the best around. Give us a try!

http://www.inquisitr.com/931331/drowning-statistics-men-three-times-more-likely-to-drown-than-women/

http://newsroom.heart.org/news/learn-the-signs-of-heatstroke

The statistics are unimaginable….without an AED, approximately 95% of heart attacks on golf courses are fatal.  According to the American Heart Association, golf courses have become the most common place for a heart attack making AEDS or automated external defibrillators a necessity in every club house.

Sudden cardiac arrest, or SCA, is the leading cause of death in the United States.  SCA occurs when the heart stops beating, which stops the blood from flowing throughout the body.  The risk for SCA increases with age and men are about 3 times more likely to experience SCA than women.

Here are some signs to look for

• Chest pains
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Vomiting
• Prior to fainting or losing consciousness, some may experience a racing heartbeat or a dizzy feeling
• Loss of consciousness or fainting
• No heartbeat of pulse

What Should You Do if this occurs:

• Call 911! Have someone in your group call 9-1-1 and retrieve the AED. If you are alone on the golf course with your buddy, call 9-1-1 first and get an AED if possible.
• Are they breathing? If NO, start CPR immediately! Use an AED as soon as possible.
• Continue CPR until the individual starts breathing or until medical support arrives.

How Can Your Golf Club Prepare:

All golf clubs should have AED’s in their clubhouses and there should be portable devices located throughout the course.  When you check in for your tee time—ask where their AEDs are located so you’ll be prepared in the event of an emergency.   Also this is a great opportunity to make sure that everyone is CPR certified in your golfing group.

As a reminder, if an AED is used within 5 minutes of a Sudden Cardiac collapse the survival rates are approximately 70% as compared to the 5% survival rate without one!  Golf courses are listed as the top places in which cardiac arrests can occur.  Be informed and inform your favorite golf club about why an AED is important!

CPR Choice is your go-to place for AEDs and CPR certification training.  We sell state of the art AEDs to families and businesses and provide support on training, as well as maintenance requirements.  We also offer convenient CPR, First Aid and AED classes all over Knoxville and the surrounding counties.  Visit our website at www.cprchoice.com for additional information on AEDs and our class schedules.

 http://www.golfwisconsin.com/articles

Our mission is saving lives!  We continuously strive to be the best CPR Provider in the region by offering quality training that is engaging, convenient and fun for everyone.  To help make CPR easy, CPR Choice offers:

• Convenient Locations– CPR Choice prides itself on offering classes all over the Knoxville and surrounding counties. We offer classroom training at our Knoxville Training Center, as well as classes in the following areas:
  • Lenoir City
  • Maryville
  • Oak Ridge
  • Sevierville
  • Tricities

We also offer on-site training. Gather a group of 8 or more and we’ll come to you. We can accommodate any size group and we have worked with some of the largest companies in Knoxville.

• Flexible Schedules– We offer classes consistently all over Knoxville and the surrounding counties. Our Knoxville Training Center schedules classes each week & offers weekend options too. We can also accommodate any last minute training needs. With our organizational structure, we can offer classes for any shifts for your employees and/or businesses.
• State of the Art Equipment– Our modern and up-to-date equipment offer students hands on training with life-like manikins to provide visual feedback regarding compression depths and speed. We have over 50 manikins in inventory, offering all our students an opportunity to have practical experience
• Wide Variety of classes– Our classes include:
  • Basic Life Support BLS for Healthcare Providers
  • Heartsaver ® CPR AED
  • Heartsaver ® First Aid CPR AED
  • Heartsaver ® Pediatric CPR/AED & First Aid
  • Family & Friends ® CPR
  • Blood Borne Pathogens
  • BLS for Healthcare Providers Skills Check
  • BLS for Healthcare Providers Challenge
  • Online Training (Blended Learning)
  • ASHI Emergency Oxygen Administration

Starting July 2015, we will also be adding ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) to our curriculum.  Continue to check our website for new class offerings, www.cprchoice.com.

• We make it FUN! We deliver quality training with the most experienced instructors in the area, boasting a combined 85 years’ experience in CPR and safety training. Our staff members are passionate about their job and incorporates their real-life training knowledge into the class room offering a fun, engaging and informative experience.

Visit our website www.CPRChoice.com to learn more about our locations, classes and our team!  We would love to see YOU in a CPR class soon!

CPR Choice is offering a Summer Special! Gather your friends, choose a date for your group’s training class and we will give you an extra benefit! Enlist 5 friends and we will give you a free pass.   This offer is perfect for your vacation bible school group, swim club, book club, sports team or any other group of friends or family. Be prepared as summer approaches and schedules change- you never know when someone might need CPR. And remember most likely it will be a loved one!

CPR Choice offers CPR classes, including instruction for First Aid and AED training.  As part of the First Aid instruction we will review several types of medical emergencies including stroke, electrocution, shock, chocking and more. CPR, First Aid and AED is easy to learn and easy to administer!

CPR can be a life saver and knowing the skills can literally be the difference between life and death in many cases. Sign your group up today! We offer flexible class options, visit our training calendar at www.knoxvillecpr.com.

And remember get a group of 5 and yours is free!

June 1-7 is National CPR and AED Awareness Week. We’re pleased to support the American Heart Association and its important mission to increase survival from cardiac arrest. We’re asking all members within our community to please take one minute of your day to learn the lifesaving skills of Hands-Only™ CPR.

Also, for CPR awareness week we are hosting a free community CPR class called, Knoxville Knows CPR! Our mission is to save lives; both in the classroom and in our community.  We think this is the best way that we can accomplish both!  Everyone needs to learn CPR!

I am requesting your help addressing a health concern that impacts our entire community. According to the American Heart Association, 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival. If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a spouse, parent, child or friend.  Many bystanders feel helpless when they see someone go down because they don’t know what to do.  Just learning 2 simple steps can make a huge difference in the victim’s outcome.

We will be teaching hands-only CPR and focusing on how learning 2 steps can save lives.
1) Call 911 & get the AED
2) Begin hands only CPR (compressions only)

What: Knoxville Knows CPR, Free Community CPR Class
When: Sunday, June 7th at 2PM
Where: The Zone Sporting Complex, 5331 Western Ave.  Knoxville, TN
Why: It is CPR Awareness Week
(Donations are welcome; all proceeds will benefit Hearts for the Homeless)

If you can’t make it to our class, at least visit the AHA website and learn Hand’s Only CPR.  You may wonder why this is such an important cause. Your life is why! In just one minute, you can learn the two simple steps of Hands-Only™ CPR.  Please watch the video any day from June 1 through 7. Then share the link with family and friends, and ask them to learn CPR.

Thank you so much!  Learn to save a life!

As personal trainers , you’ve made the decision to go into the growing and ever evolving world of exercise science. Cardiovascular training and weightlifting are important parts of keeping the heart and body healthy.  However, it is important to understand the risks involved and be prepared to act should an emergency occur.

Exercise tolerance is defined as the ability of the cardiac, pulmonary, and vascular systems to meet the requirements generated by large muscle use.  Simply put, can the body move enough oxygen to the muscles fast enough? If one system fails to keep up, your client could experience cardiac arrest and need CPR. While the goal is to better ones exercise tolerance, pushing someone too hard or to0 fast could be detrimental.

It is important for personal trainers to form a close relationship with all their clients in order to create a program within his or her functional physical capabilities. Ultimately, it is the trainer’s responsibility to understand your clients’ medical history and physical boundaries.

There are multiple ailments that may increase your clients risk of heart failure:

• History of Heart Attack
• History of Stroke
• Poor bloodflow
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Poor aerobic metabolism (Inability of muscles to process oxygen)

Thorough understanding of CPR and the ability to act responsibly are critical in the moments between cardiac arrest and EMS arrival on scene. Immediate CPR and AED use could be the difference should a life and death situation present itself. We not only strongly urge personal trainers to receive CPR training, but most personal training certifications such as the American Council on Exercise (ACE) or the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) require it.  Many gyms are also equipped with Automated External defibrillators (AED) and require personal trainers, fitness instructors and staff to be certified in both CPR & AED. Sign up for our Heartsaver CPR & AED course!

For more information on the correlation between exercise and heart failure, please visit the American Heart Association.

Epinephrine Pens, or Epi Pens, are special syringes that are pre-filled with a prescription dose of epinephrine to be administered in the event of a severe allergic reaction. Epinephrine Pens can save the lives of people who suffer life threatening reactions to allergens such as bee stings, nuts and other foods. The dosage is often suited to the person whom it was prescribed. It is important for people who have been prescribed an Epinephrine Pen to always carry it with them and make sure co-workers, teachers and peers know how to administer it in the case of an emergency.

Operating an Epinephrine Pen is very straightforward.

• The first step is to remove the safety cap (on the back).
• The person administering the shot will hold the pen in their fist and push the needle end firmly into the victim in the side of the thigh muscle (between the hip and the knee).
• Hold the epinephrine pen in place for ten seconds, taking care to not twist or move the needle.
• After 10 seconds, the Epinephrine Pen is removed and a protective, safety sheath will cover the needle.
• After giving the injection rub the area of the shot for 10 seconds, to help get the medication into the bloodstream.
• One should also make note of the time the shot was delivered and then dispose of the Epinephrine Pen in a designated sharps container.

If at all possible, the person who is prescribed the Epinephrine Pen should deliver the shot to themselves, but in the event of a sudden, severe reaction, may need help. Advanced medical help should be notified and advised of the type of allergy, approximate time of the reaction and the time the epinephrine was administered. It is important to stay with the victim until medical help arrives.  It may take a few minutes for the medicine to start working.

Sometimes the first exposure to an allergen may result in life threatening anaphylaxis reactions. Medical professionals also stress that delaying treatment with epinephrine in the case of the severe reactions is more likely to result in death. It is because of this warning, more schools are stocking extra Epi Pens and training personnel on their use. Tennessee passed legislation in 2013, joining 28 other states, to allow schools to keep epinephrine pens in stock and administer them in the case of an emergency.

Learn how to administer Epinephrine in one of our Heartsaver first aid classes.  We also offer a Pediatric specific first aid class for daycares, churches, preschools and businesses working with children.  Our first aid course covers a lot of subjects and will teach you what to do in an emergency.

Heartsaver CPR & First Aid Course curriculum:

• Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Child & Infant CPR
• Conscious & Unconscious Choking (Heimlich)
• Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
• Medical Emergencies
• Injury emergencies
• Environmental emergencies

Click here for more info about the prescribed drug Epinephrine or to learn how Epinephrine works.

Congratulations! You enrolled in a CPR class and completed the course requirements. The class provided you with the knowledge to offer first aid, administer CPR and use an AED to help potentially save a life. During your class, you learned the importance of CPR because about 88% of all cardiac arrests occur at home, which means your skills will more than likely be used on a loved one. All the topics and hands on application are crucial steps in preparing you to potentially save a life and help stabilize a patient until medical help arrives. It’s literally a life saver.

The American Heart Association suggests a CPR re-certification every two years to make sure you are up-to-date on the latest techniques and it’s a great opportunity to refresh on your basic skills. Two years can go by so fast and your memory of some of the techniques may have faded.  CPR Choice offers a variety of CPR classes to re-certify you and make sure you have the most up-to-date information.

• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers
• Heartsaver CPR & AED
• Heartsaver First Aid, CPR & AED
• Pediatric First Aid & CPR
• Blood Borne Pathogens
• Emergency Oxygen

Regain your confidence in your ability to perform CPR and to use an AED is the best way to prevent unnecessary deaths.  CPR Choice is your source to learn the skills needed to save a life!  It is a very small price to pay versus watching the ones you love pass in front of you. Re-certify and sign up for a CPR class today!

Victims of drowning usually do not thrash in the water as often made out to be in the movies.  Most victims are found floating or submerged in the water.  Victims may not be able to call for help because they are using all of their energy trying to breathe or keep their head above water. When water is inhaled, the upper airway may go into a spasm also making it difficult to cry for help.

Signs of drowning :

• The victim does not flail and thrash in the water. Instead, drowning tends to be a quieter act, and victims tend to appear lethargic or are found unresponsive floating on the water, or submerged beneath it.
• The drowning victim often is bobbing with their head tilted back just at the waterline and the mouth wide open. There are attempts to keep rolling on to the back.
• The respiratory effort may be rapid but is often shallow.
• The eyes tend to be wide open and may hold a sense of panic.
• If there is a swimming effort, it is weak and uncoordinated.

In a drowning emergency, the sooner the victim is removed from the water and first aid is administered, the greater opportunity the victim has for surviving.