Did You Know?: Could you save your Child's Life

Patrick Quinn, a Red Cross first aid instructor in Toronto, teaches people how to save lives every day. But, last December, he put his knowledge and skills to the test when he had to perform abdominal thrusts on his choking daughter. Patrick and his family were at a fast food restaurant enjoying a meal. His daughter Sydney, who was then 4 years-old, was munching on French fries while horsing around with her older brother Noah. Patrick told them to stop, but they didn’t listen. 

One of the fries got lodged in Sydney’s throat and she began to choke. Patrick, knowing what to do, encouraged her to cough it up. But, when the fry got further lodged and blocked her airway, he then had to perform abdominal thrusts on Sydney. Stats show that if you have to perform first aid, it will most likely be on a loved one. I am not a parent, and could only imagine how scary this must have been. He told me all he could think about in the moment was: “Please cough it up, or your mom will kill me.” 

Fortunately, after what were the longest minutes of his life, Patrick was able to dislodge the French fry and save Sydney. And strangely enough, 14 year-old Noah had accompanied Patrick to one of his first aid courses in the morning. A few hours later, Noah got to see the skills live in action.

Did You Know?: November is CPR Month

November is CPR month 2010, be the somebody who saves a life

Seventy per cent of cardiac arrests happen at home, yet only one in seven people know how to perform CPR. Could you perform CPR right now if needed? Knowing these simple techniques could mean the difference between life and death for someone you love.

Permanent brain damage can occur four to six minutes after breathing stops, but the average ambulance response time is nine minutes in large urban centres. Performing CPR immediately following cardiac arrest can double a victim’s chance of survival.

As an Authorized Training Provider of the Canadian Red Cross, all First Aid Ottawa Standard and Emergency First Aid courses are recognized by WSIB and its Federal counterpart the Canada Labour code.  Visit us online at www.FirstAidOttawa.com or at 613-225-2727.

Did You Know?: Compression Only CPR

The Canadian Red Cross supports the use of compression-only CPR as an acceptable alternative to full CPR with rescue breaths. Compression-only CPR is sometimes the preferred method for members of the public who witness an adult suddenly collapse and are unable to perform full CPR.

Compression-only CPR uses chest compressions to pump the heart, circulating oxygen already in the person’s body. This makes compression-only CPR suitable when An adult suddenly collapses, A responder is unwilling, unable, untrained or unsure how to perform full CPR (cycles of 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths), A bystander does not have a breathing barrier and does not want to perform unprotected rescue breaths.

Compression-only CPR should not be used when the oxygen in the victim’s body has likely been used up, such as with a drowning victim or when a respiratory emergency may have caused the cardiac arrest.

Performing CPR on an infant or child requires rescue breaths. When an infant or child’s heart stops, it’s usually because of a respiratory emergency, such as choking or asthma, which uses up their body’s oxygen. The most important thing for Canadians to know right now is that the CPR they’ve been trained to perform is still right. All Canadian Red Cross CPR courses will continue to teach full CPR. Performing full CPR in conjunction with an automated external defibrillator (AED) immediately following cardiac arrest can double a person’s chance of survival. Canadians are most likely to perform CPR on someone they know. Seventy per cent of cardiac arrests happen at home, yet only one in seven people know how to perform CPR.

As an Authorized Training Provider of the Canadian Red Cross, all First Aid Ottawa Standard and Emergency First Aid courses are recognized by WSIB and its Federal counterpart the Canada Labour code.  Visit us online at www.FirstAidOttawa.com or at 613-225-2727.