Northern Nevada Red Cross spreads word on CPR, AED training

Northern Nevada Red Cross spreads word on CPR, AED training

The American Red Cross of Northern Nevada has been spreading the word this month about the importance of training in CPR and using an automated external defibrillator.

“Even though I'm a medical professional, I've been in circumstances where individuals have needed either an AED or CPR. And that can happen to anyone,” said Dr. Walter Kelley, medical director for the Utah and Nevada division of the American Red Cross.

“I happen to be a physician, but anyone in the public may be in a position to save someone's life either through providing CPR, or use of an AED. In fact, one of our local Red Cross nurses here in the region recently was out getting a coffee and had to use her CPR skills. And again, that could be anyone in the community.”

He said “CPR or using an AED, if it's available, can really increase the likelihood that your loved one, your neighbor, someone in your community survives long enough to be resuscitated by emergency medical professionals.”

The latest AEDs “are designed for anyone in the lay public to use," he said.

"They're designed to give you instructions on using the device. But by having that little bit of practice and that little bit of instruction when you're expecting it, it's much easier to remain cool-headed and follow the prompts on an AED,” he said.

“In the circumstance when you need to use it, many workplaces, many stores have them,” which is why being aware of how to operate the devices is important, Kelley explained.

“I think it's so important for folks to familiarize themselves with their workplace, with their school, with other places that they attend regularly. For example, many athletic gyms have them. If you're a member of a sports club, like a racquetball club or an indoor pickleball club — there are all of these spaces out in the community where people are regularly and many of those places will have AEDs,” he said. “Once someone especially has taken the time to get a little bit of training and learn, it really can save someone's life.”

As part of Red Cross safety inspections, Kelley said he periodically checks the locations of AEDs in the offices so he knows where they are. Employees and volunteers know the locations as well, he said, adding, “it's the same for all of us, no matter what our background is.”

“So of course, the Red Cross offers training in CPR and AED. Your readers can go to redcross.com and sign up to take those classes,” he said. “We also have a free app that people can go to the app store to download,” called Red Cross First Aid. “It can actually help people with those common situations and common emergencies,” he said.

“Sometimes people are concerned about performing CPR. You have a type of training called compression-only CPR and then you're not worried about the mouth-to-mouth part, which some people feel like if they haven't had enough training on, they might not feel comfortable doing it. But compression-only CPR really increases the likelihood that someone survives long enough for emergency medical personnel to take over their resuscitation,” Kelley explained.

He compared and contrasted the processes of CPR and AEDs.

“CPR, you can perform whether you have anything other than just yourself. Of course, the most important thing is getting healthcare fast, right? So you want to activate the emergency response system so that the medical responders can start coming to you as quickly as possible. But CPR, even if it's just you by yourself, you can perform — especially hands-only CPR.

“If you have access to an AED, that increases the likelihood of survival in certain circumstances, because when you place the leads of the AED on the individual in distress, it will determine whether or not the device can do something to help them,” Kelley said. “It walks you through verbally, step-by-step, and tells you what it's doing. And so if the individual is in a circumstance where they need you to help them, then having it is a tremendous benefit.

“And of course, having a little bit of experience beforehand and training increases the likelihood that a person will use it and be able to use it successfully to help their fellow members of the community,” he said.