CPA students learn CPR from Washington paramedics

Last Tuesday night at the Washington Citizens Police Academy, I could not get the Bee Gees out of my head. We were being CPR certified through the American Heart Association, and I have always heard chest compressions should be done to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive” to get the speed right.

OK, I admit, the closest I have ever come to being CPR-trained was watching “The Office” episode in which they attempt to become CPR-trained but the class turns into a Bee Gees sing-along.

Well, I think I got the beat down. Now I just hope if I ever find myself in a situation when I need to give CPR, I’ll be able to stop tapping my foot and singing the lyrics instead of counting to 30 for the compressions.

The class, led by assistant chief of emergency medical services at the Washington Fire Department Jai Windish, paramedics Todd Caroll and Julie Baker, focused on CPR training for adults and children 1 to 8 years old, clearing obstructions in case of choking and how to use an automated external defibrillator.

We first learned each component of CPR: how to position the heels of our hands between the nipples for chest compressions, the appropriate way to tilt back the person’s head to clear the air-way for breaths and how to use the CPR barrier device.

For those who still think of CPR as giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association both recommend using some sort of barrier device, such as a mask, when performing CPR on anyone.

“Even though the chance of contracting a disease through the mouth is pretty slim, you never know. The barrier devices keep you safe,” Carroll said.
Windish showed us a barrier mask similar to the ones we were training with and said they are available for about $15 at Walgreens, CVS and other pharmacies. Baker said she always carries with her a convenient, cheaper key-chain version of a barrier mask.

Windish said people who administer CPR incorrectly will often blow air into the victim’s stomach, causing them to vomit. This is another good reason for the barrier device.

One important step the training emphasized was making sure the scene of the incident is secure before administering CPR.

Here’s the situation: you walk into your neighbor’s house and find him on the floor not breathing.

“You don’t know why he’s not breathing. It could be carbon monoxide poisoning, in which case you should get out of the house and call for help or you will become a patient, too,” Carroll said.
We all practiced five sets of 30 compressions and two breaths over one second each. I am not sure about the others in the class, but my arms got tired pretty quickly.

Windish said many people do not push hard enough during the compressions.

“The ribs will separate from the sternum during the compressions. You will break ribs; you will feel crunching if you’re doing it properly,” he said.

Next came the automatic external defibrillator, a machine that administers an electric shock to the heart. It was only about 11 to 12 years ago AED training was added to standard CPR training.

Now, almost all public places have an AED available in emergencies, and their use is an important part of CPR training.

The AED analyzes the patient and instructs users to administer shocks when needed. If more than one shock is needed, the AED will automatically escalate the intensity of the shocks from 200 joules to 300 joules and finally to 360 joules (the exact amount of energy used depends on the model of the defibrillator).

I had never seen one of these machines, and it was comforting to learn that all models are designed to analyze the victims and clearly instruct, out loud, what to do.

The certification the class received is through the American Heart Association and is good for three years.

While I hope I never have to use what I learned, I feel it is important to at least have the knowledge and training under my belt.