Dealing With Home Emergencies: 2 Basic Life-Saving Skills

Many of us consider our home to perhaps be the safest place imaginable. This is a very common sentiment among most people. It is perfectly understandable. Our home is the place where our families stay. It is also where we lay our heads to sleep and where our children play.

However, contrary to popular belief, emergency situations are just as likely to arise while we are at our homes as in any other place. This is because we live in a world that is unpredictable. Literally anything can happen at any given moment. This is the reason why it is of vital importance that all members of the household know how to correctly administer emergency procedures at a moment's notice.

Common Household Emergencies
The following are the most common emergency situations you can face in your home:
· Choking
· Suffocation
· Drowning
· Electrocution
· Concussion/Severe Head Trauma (due to falling or other accidents)
· Poisoning (as caused by ingestion of certain chemicals)
· Inhalation of smoke or other dangerous substances

Basic Emergency Skills
Basic techniques such as the Heimlich maneuver and CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) are among the most commonly used emergency medical procedures seeing as they are the most needed. The Heimlich Maneuver is commonly used for choking victims. It is done in order to remove foreign objects stuck in the victim's airway. The CPR, on the other hand, is used to facilitate breathing and the flow of blood to the victim's brain. It is used for victims who have suffered cardiac arrest and for those who have stopped breathing.

Both these procedures demand quick thinking and a hasty response on your part if they are to be done successfully. For instance, CPR needs to be administered almost immediately because a victim can die or suffer permanent damage to the brain due to a lack of oxygenated blood.

In order to perform the Heimlich, you need to get behind the victim and wrap your arms around them. Take one hand, make a fist with it and place it right below the choking victim's ribcage. Wrap your free hand around the fist and press it against the victim's upper abdominal area. Start doing some quick upper thrusts until the blockage has been safely removed from the victim's airway.

The CPR, on the other hand, is done by following a basic pattern of 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths. Breathe normally when administering rescue breaths. Do not take deep breaths but make sure each lasts at least 1 second. You also need to make sure that you do chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute.

First Aid Education
This article presents some of the basic tips on how to execute these procedures correctly in cases of home emergencies. However, it is important to point out here that this article should be read solely for purposes of information. It is in no way supposed to serve as a substitute to taking First Aid and CPR training.

These emergency skills are easy enough to learn and will prepare you for the unexpected. Taking courses are still the most effective way of learning these life-saving techniques. By attending these emergency classes, you will learn how to act during various types of emergency situations. With proper knowledge and training, hopefully every one of us will be able to feel that our family is safe in our own homes.

Make sure that you and your family stay safe. Learn the most basic emergency skills. Visit http://www.torontofirstaidcpr.ca for more information.

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Emergency Skills: CPR

Emergency situations demanding the application of CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and other first aid procedures are getting more and more common nowadays. This is because we are now living in a world where possible dangers lurk in every corner. This unpredictable nature of our environment is what compels us to prepare for the worst. Taking a class in CPR and first aid should be treated with the highest priority. Every one of us needs to be ready to face any type of emergency situation.

The CPR

CPR is one of the most basic first aid skills. Ideally, everyone should receive proper training for it. This will go a long way in ensuring that, you would be able to properly respond, should a life and death situation arise. The procedure itself is simple enough to follow. Anyone can learn how to do it properly by taking the proper classes.

It consists of two processes. Namely these processes are known as the rescue breaths and the chest compressions. The former involves breathing into the victim's mouth. It is important to make sure that there is no air escaping, so it is advisable to close the victim's nose when applying rescue breaths. Make sure that you are still breathing normally when doing this. Do not take deep breaths prior to giving rescue breaths to the victim.

The latter involves pumping the victim's heart. This is done in order to facilitate the flow of blood in the victim's body. Chest compressions are applied hard and fast to the lower sternum of the victim. It must be done at a rate of 100 chest compressions per minute.

The CPR procedure follows a simple cycle between these two. The cycle alternates between 30 chest compressions and the application of 2 rescue breaths. However, there have changes made to the procedure as of late. Nowadays, the American Heart Association is suggesting that CPR is just as effective without the application of rescue breaths. This would mean that chest compressions will be the sole focus of the procedure. Of course, no one is saying that there is anything wrong with learning the original CPR procedure.
This procedure is one of the most noteworthy medical innovations of the 20th century. It was initially invented during the 1960's. It was meant to deal with victims who have stopped breathing and whose hearts have stopped beating. These victims are mainly those who have suffered from sudden cardiac arrest. Before its invention, death was considered to be an inevitable consequence such.

CPR and First Aid Training
This article outlines the basic procedure for the CPR. However, this was written only with the purpose of educating the public with regards to emergency preparedness. Its contents should not be taken as an alternative to taking courses in CPR. These classes are still the best way to learn about the procedure itself. They are usually taught by medical professionals and CPR certified instructors. These classes will allow you to learn how to properly apply your newly acquired knowledge on situations very similar to the ones you may face in the real world.

Be ready for any type of emergency. Learn all about the basic life-saving skills. Visit http://www.firstaidthunderbay.ca for more information.

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