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Jun 1, 2017 
What Happens if You Fail at CPR and Someone Dies
If you’re a healthcare provider, this may be a sadly common occurrence in your life. But if you aren’t—if you’re just a bystander, and you suddenly find yourself called upon to provide CPR. Here are some examples of the questions and concerns we’ve heard from people in our CPR classes about what happens when the outcome isn’t the best.
Online First Aid Courses: What's Available, and Which One is Right for You
There are many different types of first aid courses available online. Here’s an overview of the types of first aid classes available, and who they’re generally designed for.
How to Stay Safe During Outside Winter Play
I've been getting a lot of questions both here and at my office from concerned parents wanting to keep their kids safe when playing outside during the winter months. Luckily, with a little bit of knowledge, you can let the kids play outside without fear. I've collected a few of the most common questions and provided the answers for you below.
Cardiac Arrest: What It Is, and Why CPR Works
Sudden cardiac arrest can occur like a bolt from the blue. It can happen to anyone at any time; victims often seem healthy and may not have pre-existing heart conditions. The key to survival for victims of cardiac arrest is often receiving CPR immediately—those who have to wait for an ambulance have very low chances.
HIPAA Certification: What It Is and Why You Need It
The acronym “HIPAA” stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Enacted in 1996, this act was a crucial part of attempts at healthcare reform. Here’s an overview of the types of certifications available—and how to choose.
First Aid Essentials for Halloween
Halloween can be an exciting time for kids and families. But while most Halloween activities are safe and fun, a few can take a scary turn—and it’s important to know the dangers out there and be prepared. Here’s an overview of the first aid skills it’s useful to know around this time of year.
Why Tattoo Artists Need Bloodborne Pathogen Certification
If you're a tattoo or body modification artist, you most likely need bloodborne pathogen training, testing, and certification. This section explores why tattoo artists need this certification and which types of tattoo artists are required to get this training.
Who Needs Infant & Child CPR Certification?
There are many different types of CPR certifications available—some designed for medical professionals, others for non-medical professionals and lay audiences. Among them is the Infant and Child CPR Certification—a certification that focuses specifically on lifesaving techniques for children and infants.
BLS Test Questions
Want to know what’s on the BLS exam? This article will give you a sense of what to expect. Read on for some BLS practice test questions to help prepare you for your exam.
Your Job Outlook as a CPR Instructor
Want to become a CPR instructor? The good news is that this position is projected to grow 8% from 2014 to 2024. Here are a few things that just may affect your job outlook if you are a CPR instructor—or are thinking of becoming one.
Top 5 CPR Movie Moments That We Love to Hate
You may have noticed in my last few posts how much I love movies and television. In fact, the only thing I love MORE than movies and television is teaching people about the necessity for CPR. So you can imagine how crazy it makes me when movies get CPR and First Aid skills utterly WRONG. In this article I look at some of the top movies that use CPR but get it wrong!
How 3D Printing Is Saving and Improving Lives
A few years ago, 3D printing was the stuff of Star Trek. Now, 3D printing is literally transforming how medical professionals are treating and changing the lives of their patients.
How To Save Other Pets With CPR
We've touched on performing CPR on your dog or cat, but a number of my readers have contacted me asking about whether it was possible to perform CPR on other pets of the non-feline and non-canine variety. For those who are interested, I have included three sets of instructions for these kinds of pets below.
The Heart Failure Drug That Could Save Millions
We're all about the heart and heart health here at CPRCertified, which means I do a lot of extra reading to keep current with the latest trends in cardiac care. I happened to do some reading over the weekend and came across some very big news from the pharmaceutical industry about a drug that could save the lives of many who experience heart failure.
Women vs. Men: Is There a Difference When It Comes to Heart Attack Symptoms?
Many of my female patients are surprised to learn that heart attack symptoms in women may be felt differently than the heart attack symptoms men experience. While there tends to be a good deal of similarity between the symptoms that men and women experience, let's go over some of the differences in heart attack symptoms in women and men and then discuss areas of overlap.
The Worldwide Impact of Strokes: By the Numbers
Around 15 million people worldwide suffer a stroke every year. That number might seem shocking but let's examine some of the worldwide statistics surrounding stroke to gain an increased understanding of its incidence and who is at risk.
Finally Stick to Your New Year's Resolution
Why not change it up this year and actually KEEP those fitness resolutions? It's all about staying motivated and creating a system that enables you to make measurable progress. I've created a list of some great tips for finally sticking to your New Year's fitness resolutions.
Automatic External Defibrillators - If You Look Closely, You'll Find They're All Around You
Recently, I gave a talk to a bunch of middle school kids about CPR and using automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in an emergency. Throughout most of my talk the kids were politely quiet and then about halfway through one brave girl raised her hand and asked nervously, "But where are the AEDs?" I was momentarily taken aback because I had toured the school earlier that morning and seen AED boxes at most of the major hallway junctions. So I asked another question, "How many of you know what an AED box looks like?" Two students from the entire assembly raised their hands. That got me to thinking about how many people take the time to notice where these lifesaving devices are located. So I've come up with a handy guide to help figure out where these wonderful instruments usually are found.
What to Do If Your Employer Doesn't Allow CPR
As a health care professional and someone who knows firsthand about how CPR can make a huge difference in saving a life, refusing to do it or keeping trained employees from carrying out CPR on someone in need is incredibly disturbing to me. Shockingly, that is exactly what happened recently in a Bakersfield, California, independent living facility when an elderly patient went into respiratory and eventually cardiac distress.
ILCOR’s 2015 Guidelines for CPR
The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) is a forum for resuscitation organizations worldwide to communicate and work together on developing and refining CPR and ECC guidelines. On October 15, the organization published new guidelines for CPR and emergency cardiovascular care.
Waking Up Under Anesthesia - More Common Than You Think!
Undertaking any medical procedure, especially those that require anesthesia, often demands a certain amount of trust between patient and caregiver. One of the most nightmarish of these is accidental awareness during general anesthesia, or AAGA and it happens more than you think.
November is Child Safety Month - Tips to Keep Your Child Safe
November is National Child Safety Month and is dedicated to raising awareness and informing parents about how to create a safe home environment for their children and even how to respond should the unthinkable occur.
The Dogs That Are Transforming from Canine Companions to Medical Heroes
Medical dogs are being trained to accomplish some truly amazing things to help their owners and providing them much more with just companionship. In many cases, they could save their owners' lives.
Improve Your Health Literacy Knowledge Today!
Besides being the month for pumpkin-picking and hot apple cider-sipping, October is also Health Literacy Month! What is health literacy, you ask? Well, it's the ability to understand, read, and make health and lifestyle decisions based upon health information. Why is there an entire month dedicated to it?
First Aid Skills for Treating Wild Animal Attack Victims
The air is getting that crisp autumn chill, and the leaves are starting to turn. For many of us outdoorsy types, that means it's the optimal time to go for that last hike or camping trip before winter. It also means that animals are much more active trying to make their own preparations prior to the season's first frost. Should you or a friend or family member experience a bite or scratch from a wild animal attack, there are some basic first aid tips you should be aware of.
Need a CPR Certification? The Stats That Will Make Up Your Mind
Unfortunately, health emergencies like cardiac arrest don't normally happen anywhere near where the professionals are, which is why getting your CPR certification is such an important life skill for anyone to have. But you don't need to take my word for it. Let's look at some of the numbers.