• Question: How many people are there in each class?

Answer: Each class will have up to 6 people in it. 

 

• Question: What is the difference between BLS and CPR?

Answer: The BLS class is for people that are working in healthcare already and have some medical knowledge. The CPR class is for people who have little to no medical training.

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• Question: Does it matter if I get an AHA or a Red Cross card?

Answer: If you are a student in a medical program or you are a healthcare provider it probably will matter. Many schools and healthcare facilities will only accept training through the AHA. The AHA certification is more widely accepted in general. They are a leader in research and statistics, and their training methods are more in depth. The AHA sets the standards that everyone else follows. Check with your school or employer to be certain. 

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• Question: What can I do if I lose my certification card?

Answer: Visit https://ecards.heart.org/student/myecards?pid=ahaecard.employerStudentSearch​

to get access to your card.

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• Question: When you are giving mouth-to-mouth, are you actually breathing oxygen into the person's lungs, or are you trying to stimulate breathing by breathing carbon dioxide into their lungs?

Answer:  You are breathing oxygen into the lungs. Your exhaled breath contains 16% oxygen which is close to the 20% contained in the air you breathe in.

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• Question: When performing CPR, how do I know if it's working?

Answer: You can tell if the chest rises with ventilation. It is hard to determine if the chest compression results in a pulse. Do the best you can and don't stop. It's better to perform CPR imperfectly than not at all.

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• Question: Is it true you can break a person's ribs while performing CPR?

Answer: According to statistics, about 30% of those who survive CPR wake up with a cracked sternum and/or broken rib. The key words there are, “wake up.” The reality is that cracked bones are a minimal injury that completely heals within a few weeks. That’s a small price to pay when compared with the loss of life, and that’s why CPR instructors and those who’ve performed CPR can attest to the fact that it’s always worth it to continue performing CPR, even if you’re sure you’ve cracked the victim’s sternum or ribs. 

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• Question: Can I be sued if someone doesn't survive after I perform CPR? *There is an answer to this for healthcare workers, and also one those performing CPR when not in a healthcare setting. 

Answer for those not in a healthcare setting: No, you are protected by the "Good Samaritan Law". Every state has this, but it's a little different in each state. In Utah ours says, "A person who renders emergency care at or near the scene of, or during, an emergency, gratuitously and in good faith, is not liable for any civil damages or penalties as a result of any act or omission by the person rendering the emergency care, unless the person is grossly negligent or caused the emergency."

Even if you are a healthcare worker, but you are not performing CPR in a healthcare setting you will be protected by this law. 

Answer for those performing CPR in a healthcare setting: It is your duty to perform CPR when at work. If you were asked to get certified, they expect that you might have to use that knowledge at some point. Sadly, people still die after CPR is performed. But statistics show that performing immediate CPR improves their chances of survival by 30-40%. If you are in a healthcare setting you usually will not be alone during CPR. As soon as you call for help, co-workers will respond. Speak with your employer for more information on their policies if you are worried or want more information.

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• Question: What chance does the person (on whom I perform CPR) have of surviving?

Answer: If you do CPR on a person whose heart has stopped beating there is a 40% chance the person will live if a defibrillator can arrive within 10 minutes to shock the heart.

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• Question: Why do less women receive bystander CPR?

Answer: ANATOMY! ​

There is a disturbing disparity between men and women when it comes to CPR being initiated after cardiac arrest. While the rate of the likelihood of assistance at home is similar between males and females, in public, males are more likely to receive help. In public, 45% of men received CPR assistance after sudden cardiac arrest compared to only 39% of women. Men are 1.23 times more likely to receive assistance from bystanders and their chances of survival are 23% higher compared to women. In the end, this discrepancy between sexes comes down to the differences in male and female

anatomy. Bystanders are reluctant to perform CPR on a woman because women have breasts, which makes some people uncomfortable and unsure as to whether or not they should intervene.

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• Question: ​What if the victim is wearing dentures?

Answer: ​Keep them in place if possible as they will allow for a better seal of your mouth on his/hers.

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• Question: How do I perform CPR on a person who has a tracheal stoma? Do I have to cover their mouth or just breath directly into the stoma?

Answer: There are two types of stomas, one which communicates to the nose and mouth and one which doesn't. Since you won't know which type you are dealing with, it is best to pinch the victim's nose closed, keep the victim's mouth closed and breathe directly into the stoma opening.

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