From BLS classes (Basic Life Support classes, to those who are unaware of what this acronym stands for) to CPR training and CPR classes, such basic medical training has become hugely important here in the United States, all throughout the country as a whole. Taking BLS classes even just once can equip a great deal of people to act calmly and promptly in the face of many a medical emergency, something that can save lives.
BLS classes and CPR training courses can help to prepare people to provide resuscitation for many. Resuscitation is typically needed when someone stops breathing and their heart stops beating, as proper blood flow throughout the body is important for life. Brain function becomes a key concern when a heart stops beating, even temporarily, and BLS classes can provide the adequate CPR certification needed to know how to keep blood flow until emergency services arrive.
After all, quick action is a necessary skill for such situations, and one that is taught in all BLS classes and first aid training classes. After all, the chances of a victim ultimately surviving decrease by about 7% for every single minute that CPR is not performed, due to the fact that CPR is essential for maintaining this vital blood flow to the brain as well as the heart. Once a defibrillator is on the scene, often along with emergency personnel and professionals, the duration for which the defibrillator must be used is also likely to be reduced significantly if CPR was provided until a defibrillator could be used.
And the use of a defibrillator itself is something that is being taught more and more frequently in many BLS classes all throughout the country. After all, defibrillators are becoming more commonplace in public and private buildings alike, as having one already on the scene in the event of a medical emergency can increase overall survival time – and quality of life after the incident, should it be survived – by quite the considerable amount, to say the least. After all, the time between the beginning of the medical emergency and the shock being administered can be reduced by as many as four whole minutes when an AED is on the scene, as opposed to needing to be provided by the emergency responders who eventually arrive on it.
And this is something that can have a hugely positive effect not just in saving any given person’s life, but in protecting their neurological function as well. After all, the longer the brain goes without blood and oxygen the more likely the person in question is to suffer from at least mild brain damage, if not brain damage to a much more severe extent. Surviving in such a condition can be hugely difficult, and such survivals often unfortunately find that they very much face an uphill battle when it comes to recovering and getting back to life as they know it. For many, full recovery is not even considered to be possible.
The data that has been gathered on this subject more than backs up this claim, showing that patients treated with an AED that was already on site have an up to 93% of complete neurological recovery and survival. If an AED is not on site at the time of the medical emergency, however, this chance drops to as low of a percentage of 9%, which is certainly quite considerable by just about any means. While CPR can be conducted if an AED is not present, and though this CPR being performed will certainly help the patient’s chances, it is not a full solution to the problem in the way that an on site AED can be.
For many people, taking BLS classes can help to save a life at some point in the future. Though many who take BLS classes will never end up being confronted by a life threatening medical emergency where they will need to apply the training that they have learned, having this training in the first place is important. After all, you never know what type of serious medical situation you’ll be faced with.