CPR and AED Bulletin
CPR and AED Hands-on Practice
Using an AED, while delivering CPR, has become an important intervention when a person enters into Cardiac Arrest. The goal of performing CPR and using an AED is to improve a person’s chance of survival. When a person enters into cardiac arrest, the heart’s ability to conduct electical impulses through the heart’s normal conduction pathways is disrupted and serious life-threatening rhythm changes occur. The heart loses its ability to contract and blood stops moving. The person enters into a state of unconsciousness, stops breathing and without immediate life-saving support perishes.
While Cardiopulmonary Rescuscitation (CPR) facilitates the movement of blood by manually compressing the heart, the AED through recognition of an abnormal life-threatening rhythm (the AED works as an ECG in its analysis of a shockable rhythm) may change an abnormal rhythm back to normal when a shock is delivered. CPR does not change cardiac rhythm but the shock delivered from an AED has the ability to convert rhythm chaos back to normal. Research has demonstrated that a person’s chance of survival is increased with rapid recognition of cardiac arrest and intervening by starting CPR and using an AED.
As per OH&S regulations and Canadian Red Cross Standards, every First Aid and CPR course offered by Breath for Life Inc includes hands-on practice of both CPR and AED delivery.