AHA CPR Training
During cardiac arrest, the failure of the heart causes a victim to lose normal circulation of the blood, leading to loss of consciousness, breathing, pulse and blood pressure. The American Heart Association (AHA) provides different types of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training that can save a victim's life.-
Types
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The AHA's Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) program provides CPR and first-aid training courses for health-care professionals, workplace rescuers and the general public. The ECC program offers more than 25 emergency safety and care courses for a variety of needs, exams and certifications, according to AmericanHeart.org. Types of training courses include Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, Heartsaver CPR and AED and Family & Friends CPR.
Benefits
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AHA CPR training teaches people how to respond to choking and cardiovascular emergencies, which may dramatically increase an adult's, child's or infant's chance of survival. Training completion usually results in some form of official certification or participation document. Advanced training may also provide the proper certification to help someone enter the health-care field, but most importantly, it saves lives.
Requirements
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There are no prerequisites for general public CPR training, but health-care providers and workplace rescuers are often required to update or advance their training and certification to maintain employment.
Where
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Courses are offered throughout the country at hospitals, health-care centers, schools, colleges and workplaces. Companies can have certified instructors come to them to teach workforce CPR training, and international training programs may be available. The AHA also offers online training anytime through cognitive lessons, but hands-on skills practice and testing is then necessary for successful online course completion.
Time Frame
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Classroom-based training courses, which include instructor and video learning, typically last about one to four hours, but advanced courses for professionals may last significantly longer.
Tips & Warnings
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Many AHA training courses are also offered in Spanish. Only those who have been properly trained should attempt to administer CPR to a victim suffering from cardiac arrest. Most AHA CPR training courses charge a fee, and some materials may be required.
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