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3  Life Saving Skills That Everyone Needs to Know

If the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that this world can be a dangerous place and that human life is fragile. While it may be impossible for a single person alone to save the world from an infectious disease, there are many situations where a person with the right skills and knowledge can save a life.

Whether you find yourself at the scene of a car accident or your child has a fall at home, knowing what to do and taking action quickly could mean the difference between life and death. Naturally, in the event of an emergency, your priority should be to find medical support, but knowing to act in the interim could potentially make a huge difference.

For these reasons, it’s wise to empower yourself by learning some basic life-saving skills. With more of us spending time at home under government-imposed lockdown measures, there has never been a better time to get online to do a Basic Life Saving (BLS) course through the Red Cross, Do your research and find an appropriate course provider like Newcastle Training that can provide you with the necessary training including the following skills that everyone should know:

Checking for Signs of Life

Regardless of the type of emergency, it’s essential to know how to check a person for signs of life through their breathing or a pulse. You’ll need to start by checking if the area is safe for approach before kneeling down beside the victim. Try to engage them by talking loudly and watching for signs of movement, especially in the chest area. To check for a pulse, place your index and middle fingers on their inner wrist or on their neck.

Paramedic demonstrating life function check on infant dummy

How to Perform CPR

When we talk about life-saving skills, one of the first things that come to mind is probably CPR. Knowing how to perform chest compressions can make all the difference for someone who has collapsed or is experiencing cardiac arrest. This is not something that should be performed without formal training.

First aid training. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation - CPR.

The Heimlich Maneuver

Be it a child or a fully grown adult, any of us could become a victim of choking at some point, as eating is one of our basic daily functions. It’s only natural that it could go wrong at times. Acting fast to dislodge the object obstructing their airway is key in such situations. The Heimlich maneuver, which requires one to stand behind the victim and deliver five blows to their back or perform abdominal thrusts, is another technique that needs to be learned formally to ensure it’s done properly to prevent any further harm.

guy making the Heimlich maneuver to a girl while she's choking

Summary

In an ideal world, we’d never need to use these skills. With that being said, it’s not a bad idea to equip yourself with the skills necessary to save a life should you ever be required to do so. These are just some essential techniques you’ll be taught in a good BLS class. Other subjects covered are likely to include how to treat burns, use bandages properly, and stop bleeding. Take the plunge and learn these much-needed and instrumental skills today.


Resources:

https://newcastletraining.com/bls-cpr-classes-tacoma

About Julee: Julee Morrison is an experienced author with 35 years of expertise in parenting and recipes. She is the author of four cookbooks: The Instant Pot College Cookbook, The How-To Cookbook for Teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teens, and The Complete College Cookbook. Julee is passionate about baking, crystals, reading, and family. Her writing has appeared in The LA Times (Bon Jovi Obsession Goes Global), Disney's Family Fun Magazine (August 2010, July 2009, September 2008), and My Family Gave Up Television (page 92, Disney Family Fun August 2010). Her great ideas have been featured in Disney's Family Fun (Page 80, September 2008) and the Write for Charity book From the Heart (May 2010). Julee's work has also been published in Weight Watchers Magazine, All You Magazine (Jan. 2011, February 2011, June 2013), Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine (Oct. 2011), Red River Family Magazine (Jan. 2011), BonAppetit.com, and more. Notably, her article "My Toddler Stood on Elvis' Grave and Scaled Over Boulders to Get to a Dinosaur" made AP News, and "The Sly Way I Cured My Child's Lying Habit" was featured on PopSugar. When she's not writing, Julee enjoys spending time with her family and exploring new baking recipes.
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