Cardiac Arrest occurs when the heart stops beating or is inefficiently pumping blood throughout the body. As blood is not pumped throughout the body, vital organs do not receive the necessary oxygen to function. Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) attempts to alleviate the impact of this by simulating the breathing of an individual and the beating of the heart. As a result of CPR, oxygenated blood may once again flow to the brain and vital organs. It has been said that for every minute the brain does not receive oxygen there is a 10 to 20 percent decrease in the survival rate.

Although child and infants are unlikely to suffer from cardiac arrest, they are prone to choking and drowning. Prolonged periods devoid of oxygen can stop the heart and lead to death. By performing CPR on a child, individuals may restart the heart and cause the child to regain consciousness. Since a child is much smaller than an adult, the CPR procedure has been modified to account for a child’s smaller body.

In addition to CPR, an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) can help save a person’s life. The AED is a device that detects the abnormal rhythm a heart may go into while suffering from Cardiac Arrest. If this rhythm is detected, the AED delivers a shock to the heart in an attempt to reset it. If the shock works, the heart will reset to its normal rhythm and start pumping blood throughout the body. It has been said that if an AED is applied during the first two minutes of a cardiac arrest, there is an 80 to 90 percent chance of survival.

Basic First Aid is an introductory course that covers an array of emergencies. The course teaches participants how to control bleeding, how to splint muscles and bones, and how to cope with sudden illnesses until the paramedics arrive. These sudden illnesses include fainting, diabetic emergency, seizures, stroke, poisoning, allergic reactions, and heat and cold related emergency.