Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Course Related FAQs
The BLS Course is geared towards medical professionals (Dr’s, nurses, EMT, anyone in the medical field). The Heartsaver Courses are for anyone who wants to know CPR for your home, office, in the event someone close to you, or a stranger has a cardiac event.
Are you a Medical Professional? If Yes, you need BLS Provider, If No, you need Heartsaver course.
If you need further assistance, please contact us here through our website, email us at info@trainingforlife.org or give us a call at 877-876-4543 so that we can understand your needs and get you registered for the correct course.
The Online Course you complete the first portion online and then attend a skills session at our location to complete the hands-on portion. Both portions must be completed to obtain your AHA certification.
The classroom course is instructed by a certified AHA Instructor and is normally a minimum of 4 hours depending on the course.
Yes, after the online portion is complete, you will need to meet with an Instructor to complete the hands-on portion of the course.
If you card has expired, you must retake the whole course either the online with Skills or the Classroom held course
The skills session is the hands-on portion of the course. This needs to be attended after you complete the eLearning portion of the course which is available as an add – on through our Calendar/Registration where you can schedule your in person skills session as well as purchase your online “key” to access the pre-requisite
All American Heart Association credentials are valid for 2 Years.
Click here to Search for and Claim your eCard.
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IF, you have the eCard #, just enter the eCard # in the space provided and Select Search (if you have eCard # NO DOT enter your name or email address.
Automated External Defibrilator (AED) FAQs
The Automated External Defibrillator is a microprocessor controlled and verbally automated device that is able to detect and analyze a person's heart rhythm through electrodes on the victim's chest. The computer inside determines whether or not the person's heart is in a condition called "Pulseless Ventricular Tachycardia" or "Ventricular Fibrillation".
The two conditions mentioned occur during Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). SCA is when the largest chambers of the heart quiver and blood is not pumped through the body. Eventually, the heart stops unless an AED delivers an electrical current to the heart. The shock is the only definitive treatment for this condition and can return the heart back into a normal beating heart rhythm. No accidental shocks are given because the machine can detect normal heart rhythms and will verbally advise the operator that no shock is advised. If the victim is not breathing, CPR should be started immediately. The device gives voice automated prompts to guide the operator through whole process.
By allowing the automated external defibrillator to do the analysis and advise you when a shock is needed, the user only has to be responsible for pushing the button. Therefore, in the event of Sudden Cardiac Arrest, after first making sure that the victim is not breathing and there is no pulse, simply apply the device and leave it in the hands of the AED to make the decision to give the therapy. If defibrillation is not needed, the AED will advise the user, and CPR may begin immediately.
The risk of liability is minimal because of the Good Samaritan laws that every state has passed. Additionally, the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton in 2000, provides AED users and acquirers with protection from liability. This will help make AEDs the standard of care for Sudden Cardiac Arrest. With proper training and the AEDs easy-to-use design the risk of misuse is low.
All 50 states have passed Good Samaritan laws that cover properly trained AED users against liability. As of the date of this writing, there have been no lawsuits filed against persons acting in good faith assisting a person who had collapsed, by applying an AED.
All 50 states have Good Samaritan laws to protect laypeople who provide CPR and administrate an AED in good faith.
An AED costs about the same as a computer. With its warranty and five-year battery, an AED offers a very low cost of ownership through the life of the AED. On average, an Automated External Defibrillator, Carrying Case, and initial set of Lithium Batteries (good for several years) will run between $2,500 and $3,000.
It is important that an AED protocol is established for your program. Our medical director recommends that each protocol must include indications for AED use, contraindications, procedures for its use, reporting procedures, maintenance, and quality assurance procedures.
The first step is to work with the principal people within your establishment. It is also important to involve people such as a medical director, occupational nurse, human resources director, security director, or a safety/CPR training coordinator in program planning. We can help deploy an educational curriculum to support the implementation of AEDs. Factors to take into account when implementing an AED program are:
- Facility security
- Location
- Size of facility
- Number of employees and visitors
The AED should placed in a visible and easily accessible location where a four-minute response time can be achieved. The AEDs convenient carrying case allows for easy mobility and the available wall mount accessory allows for stationary placement.
Listed are recommended areas for AED placement:
· In a medical clinic (if available).
· In a reception or common area
· Near a fire extinguisher.
· With a safety response team member.
· With a security officer.
· On board a corporate jet
· Football stadium
There is a very good chance emergency medical services (EMS) cannot respond fast enough to save someone in cardiac arrest, particularly in congested urban areas, high-rise buildings, large facilities or in rural areas. In fact, the national average response time is 10-12 minutes, so even the best EMS responders could have difficulty arriving in time. Besides traffic, consider the time needed to make it through building security and all the way to a victim.
Regulation on the use of AEDs is common, and minimum training requirements vary from state to state. In many cases, a simple course including CPR and AED training is all that is required. At Training For Life we offer the HeartSaver™ AED course, which can be completed in less than four hours. The National Safety Council® and other training organizations, such as the American Red Cross, also offer training programs.
Top 10 CPR/AED FAQs
The steps of CPR are begun, and the AED sent for, when a person is found who is or appears to be unresponsive (no coughing, breathing or moving) and fails to react to your attempts to establish responsiveness, i.e. Taping on both sides of their shoulders and shouting their name (or Sir/Miss).
With the loss of oxygenation, even for a few minutes, cells in the body, particularly the heart lungs & brain, become irreparably damaged. Ideally, the performance of CPR maintains the mechanical flow of oxygen rich blood to these critical organs long enough to allow the AED to “restart” the heart and resume normal, unassisted, blood flow.
Adults: 30 (2 inch) compressions at the rate of 100 in a minute (pace of the song “Staying Alive”) followed by 2 breaths (each lasting 1 second) sufficient to make the chest rise & fall NORMALLY (don’t over inflate).
Infants/Children: Same as above just reduce depth of compression to ½ the depth of the victim’s chest.
- Based on the above rates, 5 Cycles (of 30 compressions to 2 breaths) should be performed in 2 minutes.
- If barrier device is unavailable, compress the chest 100 times per minute without stopping for breaths.
Infants: 0-1 y/o
Children: 1-8 y/o or less than 55lbs/25kg
Adults: more than 8 y/o or 55lbs/25kg
Witnessed Arrests are observed by another person(s). In this instance the initial steps of CPR (Tap & Shout “Hey are you ok?”) are performed and the AED is used (turned on and pads attached) immediately upon its arrival to the scene.
In Un-witnessed Arrests, we are unaware of how long the victim has been without oxygen (see question #2). Therefore, we must complete a full 2 min (5 cycles) of CPR in order to oxygenate the vital organs prior to the AED being used.
These steps only served to delay or prevent Chest Compressions (most critical component of CPR) from being initiated.
A person needing CPR is dead (see first question). Therefore, there is little you could do to worsen that situation. In fact,
AEDs will not even charge to deliver a shock unless it senses the victim is dead (Sudden Cardiac Arrest/Death).
- The victim demonstrates signs of life, i.e. normal coughing breathing or motion.
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You are relieved by someone of equal or higher level of training.
- You are no longer able to continue due to exhaustion or danger to you or the victim (i.e. fire, etc.).
Although there are a number of AED manufacturers in business at the moment, the units themselves are much like watches in that if you can use one you can use them all. Each unit has an easy on feature (prominent button or the simple act of opening the lid, etc.) and will provide voice prompts of exactly what to do.
Many companies and organizations have chosen to voluntarily place AEDs and receive the accompanying training in order to protect their most valuable resource; their people.
There are also Federal & State specific mandates that require AEDs be placed in locations such as Government Buildings, Public Schools, Airports/Airplanes, Arenas, Golf Courses, Public Pools, Senior Centers, Dentists Offices, and the list goes on and is added to frequently.
For the most current list of locations required to place AEDs, please visit https://www.sca-aware.org/about-sudden-cardiac-arrest/cpr-and-aed-laws.