Have you ever witnessed any roadside accidents? Or saw someone dying? The first thought that came to your mind was to save the life of that person. Many people go through some injuries or illnesses daily that may affect their health. Such situations require immediate actions to stabilize a person’s condition. The majority of people will have to face serious health consequences if they don’t get any emergency treatments. For this reason, the people skilled in BLS and CPR are more than ever necessary.

If you want to enhance your personal and professional skills and at the same time, be prepared for any medical emergency that may arise. Then it will help if you pursue any of these two significant certifications.

Is it confusing you which certification you should choose to grow in your career? The difference between both certificates is minimal and subtle.

Read along the article to understand the details and compare them to make a suitable choice for you.

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT (BLS)

A wide variety of non-invasive emergency methods to save the patient’s life is Basic Life Support. Through this course, healthcare professionals provide emergency care for adults, young, or children having cardiac or respiratory difficulties. Suppose a patient experiences any dangerous health situation. In that case, BLS classes focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills as a team.

REQUIREMENTS FOR BLS CERTIFICATION

The majority of the healthcare providers in clinical settings and the public safety workforce require Basic Life Support (BLS) certification. The common professions where BLS certification is must include doctors, nurses, firefighters, lifeguards, and armed forces. It is also a requirement for some professionals such as teachers, bus drivers, daycare providers, camp coaches, etc. BLS certification course expires in two years. You need to get recertification after two years. Healthcare professionals can get their BLS recertification online as there is an update in guidelines and standards.

STEPS FOR BLS

The steps for Basic Life Support in these situations include:

Conducting a primary assessment of the situation – It is essential as an emergency medical care provider. You should quickly and efficiently analyze the scene. The factors to consider for primary assessment are:

Hazardous situation: Take a look for any danger? Is there any fire or an electric issue?
Your dress: Are you covering yourself with any protective shield?
Are people present in the surrounding: Are there more people who can assist you or have any medical knowledge?

After analyzing the surrounding situation, you need to assess the patient’s condition. The typical steps are:

Examine the condition of a patient.
Monitor their pulse and breathing
Provide emergency medical care.

BENEFITS OF BLS

Below are some of the benefits of BLS training:

Fully prepared

BLS certification can prepare you to take the necessary measures irrespective of your situation. You may assist in your work office, grocery store, road accidents, or whenever an emergency occurs.

Boost confidence

It is common to lose confidence whenever there is an emergency. With BLS training, it will be possible for you to panic less and fight the situation effectively.

Valuable

By mentioning BLS certification in your CV, you can become a valuable asset to the company. Many employers search for applicants knowing life-saving techniques to avoid workplace safety hazards since they take safety in their organizations seriously.

CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR)

The method of saving lives when the heartbeat stops is known as CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation). It involves mouth to mouth breathing and immediate pumping of the chest. It helps in blood circulation to a certain degree before a medical professional gets there at the scene. CPR given at the right time can increase the chances of living of a person even after a heart attack.

CPR CERTIFICATIONS

Many people around the world are learning how to perform CPR and earning certifications for it. However, health professionals still need to level up their game and spread awareness about CPR certification benefits. In such a way, we can have several people who can respond to cardiac arrest situations promptly.

There are three types of certifications in CPR:

Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support
Basic Life Support
Pediatric Advanced Life Support

HOW TO PERFORM CPR

The following is the guide on how to perform CPR stepwise:

Set the position of your hands in a way that one hand is above the other. Now, apply pressure on the middle of the chest. Keeping in mind that the depth of these compressions should not be more than two inches and at the rate of 100 compressions per minute
Lean back the head of a person and raise the chin slightly upwards. Close the opening of the nose and seal the mouth of that person with your mouth. Start blowing air and stop after giving two breaths.
Continue with this process until a health professional arrives or if there are any signs of life.

BENEFITS OF CPR

Below are some of the benefits of CPR training:

Save lives of people:

Most importantly, CPR-certified workers save lives by giving immediate treatment. Due to sudden cardiac arrests, certified CPR professionals’ importance has increased tenfold.

Reduces the recovery period of patients

Apart from giving a new life, CPR also reduces the recovery time of patients. The sooner the person receives CPR, the less will be the effects of cardiac arrest. Hence, it mitigates the probability of sudden cardiac arrests repeating.

Reflects Responsibility and Leadership

Healthcare workers are responsible for catering to patients’ needs in an emergency and looking at public health matters. Having first-hand knowledge and its implementation at the time of the accident shows how responsible they are and become strong leaders.

CONCLUSION

Do you know what to do in case any of your loved ones has a sudden cardiac arrest? Probably you will be clueless. A complete understanding of BLS and implementation of CPR procedures can double the chances of surviving. In some cases, this treatment itself serves as the survival kit for heart failure patients. That is why, aside from healthcare providers, bystanders must have the proper knowledge and know-how to incorporate it in real-life scenarios.