CPR Online

Whether you are employed in some area of the medical profession, a government employee, in any employment that caters to the public or are a private citizen, CPR is a must need to know procedure. Some day, an adult, a child or even an infant may need your help and you have to know what to do. If you do not know CPR or do CPR incorrectly you may not be able to save that persons life.

You should schedule a CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) class at least every two years and receive your certification, you will be really glad that you did. CPR classes only take a small portion of your day to complete, and is well worth your time and effort to be knowledgeable in this procedure that could save a life. CPR classes are available at many sites. Some sites may be at the local Red Cross, local hospital, or community college. It is also possible to take a CPR online and print out your certification. Even though this is free and you can do it from the comfort of your home, you do not get to practice on CPR equipment and have interactions with classmates. A regular CPR class only enhances your experience.

The reason that you need to refresh your CPR knowledge at least every two years is that sometimes researchers discover new CPR techniques that are either safer and/or more efficient. They seem to come out with updated information all the time and you want to stay in the loop by taking refresher courses. For example, The American Heart Association has released new CPR guidelines in 2010; this is why refresher courses are needed.

Every year over 300,000 people die, because they were not able to receive prompt medical treatment. These victims can be new heart attacks, repeated heart attacks, chocking episodes, drowning, seizures and etc. If these victims were able to receive life saving CPR from you, then their death could have been prevented. Victims can be adults, young children, teenagers, and infants, and believe it or not sometimes a beloved pet.

Not only does CPR save lives it saves quality of life. If a persons heart stops for up to 4 minutes before CPR then risk for any kind of brain damage is extremely low, 4-6 minutes before medical treatment arrives, brain damage is possible. If the heart has stopped for 6-10 minutes then brain damage is likely. If the heart has been stopped for over 10 minutes then brain damage is certain. There of course can be exceptions to this rule, one never knows, so CPR should be started immediately and you do the very best that you can do for that person.

There are three symptoms or three basic steps to look for before starting CPR, learn what these are through your CPR course. There are seven more things that you must look for before starting CPR. Your instructor will explain all of these to you. They are important, things you have to know, in order to save a life.

Go to, or call your nearest Red Cross, and find out where and when CPR classes are going to be held, and then sign up. You will be glad that you did.