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Why Is a CPR Card Legal for Two Years?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is an emergency medical procedure that includes artificial respiration and cardiac massage, used when a person has no pulse or breath. CPR certification is required for people working in a medical field but is accessible to the public. A person must renew his certification by taking a re-certification course every two years.

  1. Misconceptions

    • CPR legal concerns are founded on civil cases involving liability, but no law exists prohibiting a person from attempting CPR without certification. Lawsuits against rescuers are more complicated if the rescuer has not been certified, but most states have "Good Samaritan" laws that protects citizen responders from being liable when they perform emergency medical procedures.

    History

    • CPR renewal certification classes are offered online.

      In 1760, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was recommended by the Paris Academy of Sciences; 143 years later Dr. George Crile reported the first successful chest compressions. In 1981, King County, Washington, instituted a program that allowed emergency dispatchers to give CPR instructions to the public via telephone. CPR continues to advance with the American Heart Association releasing new CPR guidelines every few years.

    Considerations

    • The American Heart Association, or AHA, is continually updating its guidelines, making it necessary to re-train certified CPR practitioners every few years. An expired CPR certification card obligates the practitioner to take a refresher class thereby keeping her life-saving skills sharp.

    Solution

    • Many training institutions offer online training through demonstrational videos and written tests. The tests take about an hour, and after you have successfully completed the course you can print your certification off the website. The price of re-certifications runs from $19.95 and up, as of June 2010.

    Warning

    • The AHA may update procedural guidelines while your certification is still valid. Check the AHA website, Americanheart.org, for recent updates.

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