“Clear!” You’ve watched enough medical dramas in your life to understand that the use of that word in an emergency setting almost always heralds the use of electricity-generating, life-saving equipment. When you hear a character utter that single word, on the big or small screen, you know – before the action even unfolds – that paddles are about to be placed on an unconscious victims chest and an electric shock is going to be administered in a melodramatic, Hollywood moment. The urgent instruction serves as a verbal reminder that saving a life is dangerous work and getting in the way could hurt you: touching a person in distress at the moment of shock can result in getting shocked, yourself.
A too fast, or chaotic heart rhythm (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, respectively) can both lead to cardiac arrest. Off-screen, using an external defibrillator is rarely accompanied by a musical score – and it is often not even in a hospital setting. Initiating immediate treatment before the arrival of EMT professionals can be the difference between life and death. Our classes teach you how and what to do.
The fact is you don’t need Hollywood magic or a medical degree to save a life: you just need a little training and the right equipment, an automatic external defibrillator (AED). These portable, electronic devices not only diagnose someones heart rhythm, they determine if an electric current is needed and they administer it! The machine walks the user through the process step by simple step with electronic voice or visual prompts. Couple that with proper cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training and you are now someone who can save a life.
For more information on this topic, and our class schedules, please visit our website or contact us
