I just took mine for the year, and they've gone and changed everything again. How are they supposed to drill it into your head so it'll stick, when every time you take a refresher, the rules have changed again? For those wondering, no pulse check now, and the count is 30/2, up from 15/2 last year. Some other first aid stuff, too. No turnequets(sp) anymore, lest someone lose a limb and sue you. Direct pressure is about all you can do safely. Even if the limb is severed, they want bloodflow to the wound so reattachment may still be possible. Unless they bleed to death. :rolleyes: Yes, this post might be a bit morbid, but hey, Halloween's right around the corner. ;)

I go through this every 2 years when I go to retraining for my company's first aid program. They change the protocols all the time.

And tourniquets? I thought they did away with them when I was in the Boy Scouts 20+ years ago.

God help anyone who has a heart attack when I'm around :D

But my wife was an EMT for 10 years and she says it's the same thing. The stuff she learned in school is against protocols now and she would actually get in trouble if she were caught doing them.

Even from state to state, the order of operations on how you put a person on a backboard are different.

Went through the same thing back in June. I'm a high school track coach and in NY, all coaches have to re-cert. in CPR every yr. and in first aid every three yrs. I agree, just when you feel comfortable with all the protocals, they change them! I just keep hoping that I never have to know if I can remember what to do!

Still worth knowing though, even if they keep confusing you! I taught CPR for the Amer. Heart Assoc., and EMT courses for New York State several years ago, but dropped out of it slowly (burned out I think) I have recently been thinking of picking it up again, I do miss it. I would probably be very surprised at all the changes.

They also want full recoil on the chest wall, so that there is no back pressure to allow blood to fill the heart. Also in defribrillation you only shock once before doing 2 minutes of CPR. The person that retaught me to do CPR had said there is more science behind this new method. The data is showing it prolongs brain function and limits hypoxia while waiting for a definitive care like the ER or something.

We did ask why the change from 15 compressions to 30, and the answer is plausible. With 15 compressions, blood with the oxygen reaches the brain, but doesn't work it's way back to the heart. Supposedly it makes a full loop with 30. I still need to pick up a mask kit one of these days, too. No doubt that it's good knowledge to have with you.

Darren,

Doing something, is better than doing nothing, so don't sweat it if you do 14 comprsesions and one breath or 30 compressions and three breaths. They change all the time so someone will re-think that 30 second cycle in the next couple of years and it will become something else. In my state the "good samaritan" law protects civilians from lawsuits but as a cop I lose that protection. I would still jump in and help though.

I applaud all of you who have taken CPR or 1st aid classes.

A "good samaritan" who has had CPR training loses that " lawsuit protection" if I am not mistaken. I categorically refused CPR training at work for that very reason because the company wouldn't indemnify us from any liability if we used the training on someone at work and the situation went bad. The union backed me up. There were a lot of "ties" very angry with me. I wept for nanoseconds.

Actually, the good samaritan laws WILL protect you, until you accept a thank you gift for your actions, such as dinner or a monetary award. If you don't accept any gifts, even going as far as paying for your own dinner, they don't have any way to come back and sue you later.

I hope for your sake that you stay safe at work. People who know what you've done are going to have second thoughts of helping you if you needed it. After all, you did prove your point, right? ;)

The last time I took a CPR course, a few year ago, we were basically told that if you are in the US and see an accident, just keep on going. Someone is going to sue you if you lift a finger. Thank the lawyers and lawsuit happy people looking for a free ride. Here in Canada there are some "Good Samaritan" laws that tend to protect people giving aid. It's a sad situation. Back in '83-'84 the course that I took totally bypassed the problem with AIDS. When I brought the point up about AIDS and contact with blood the answer was, "You can't be paranoid about everything." Now that's sensible. After the last refresher course I never went back. Very sad when you are afraid to help anyone but your immediate family but that is what it has come to.

So is everyone supposed to carry one of those little tubes to seperate your from the downed party? Keep one on your keychain?

Or do you stop and inspect for open sores, herpes, AIDS, Hep C, etc?

With illness and law suits im not helping anyone but family and close friends. I mean, I might run jumper cables from the car battery to the downed party and hope I can get a jump start but I aint risking someone throwing up into my mouth or fatal illness to help somebody I dont know (course, young child I might) but an adult? Dunno what they have or if they would sue or what their family would do......or what I would do if they threw / spit up in my grill. A players gotta keep his teeth white and bill of health clean for the ladies :D