You are sitting at a restaurant at their outside dining area having lunch with a friend when a person walking on the sidewalk suddenly collapses and falls to the ground. You have knowledge of CPR and are certified in it, so you rush over to start CPR. However, you remember that you are in a pandemic and pause.
Health experts are urging that you do not hesitate because of coronavirus fears. Dr. Jay Hershman is a professor of medicine for Miami Dade College and the founder of Dr. J CPR USA in Miami. He says that when you see people who need help, you need to be willing to jump in and help them if you have the skills and knowledge to do so. Someone else’s life is at risk. Catching the coronavirus while performing CPR is still relatively low. You are more likely to save someone’s life by helping them than you are getting infected.
The incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the U.S. remains high and survival remains low. A bystander who initiates CPR happened in only 39 percent of the cases. This could be a lot higher if everyone was trained in Basic Life Support (BLS).
If you take a course on getting certified, and if you are still afraid of getting infected, you can learn how to properly use a bag valve mask for CPR as a safety precaution so you do not have to do mouth-to-mouth. This is the same bag valve mask that first responders and other healthcare workers use. Yes, this would mean purchasing this bag valve mask and keeping it in your car nearby in the unfortunate event that you might need to perform CPR.
So everyone, even if you are not a healthcare worker, should get certified in the Basic Life Support (BLS) course. It is only $59.95 to complete the lessons on line, and $65 to come into Hershman Medical Center to do your in-person skills session and get your card. Also, the first 20 people to sign up for a BLS course will receive a free Dr J CPR USA t-shirt featuring Captain CPR.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. As always, I am always here to help.
Dr. Jay Hershman
Professor of Medicine and Founder of Dr J CPR USA
T. 913.515.7925
E. drjcprusa@gmail.com
W. www.drjcpr.com