Los Angeles CPR is one of the best providers of basic and advanced training in the city. We offer the widest variety of programs compared to our providers, as well as the cheapest training rates. Whether you need a new training credential or just need to renew your old one, you can find out with us that suits your needs. You can enroll through e-mail, telephone call, in person, or on the Los Angeles CPR website using the online application form.
Cardiac disease and hypertension
When looking at all the factors that contribute to a heart attack, there are two main ones: cardiac disease and hypertension. Cardiac disease – particularly ischemic and coronary artery disease – is the major factor that contributes to a heart attack. In ischemic heart disease and CAD, there is a decreased flow of blood to the heart, which causes it to malfunction. Ischemic heart disease can be caused by chronic narrowing of blood vessels that lead to the heart while CAD is characterized by coronary arteries blocked with plaque.
Heart disease along with hypertension can cause a heart attack. Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure, or an increased resistance in the blood vessels that cause the heart to work harder to send blood through the body. If the vessels are blocked with plaque, it can cause hypertension, as well as stress (and stressful activities) and eating high fat and high sodium food. During a hypertensive event, the heart can fail and go into arrest.
CPR: compression, ventilation, defibrillation
When the heart goes into arrest, chest compressions can manually send blood through the body as well as help restart the heart. Compressions and ventilations are the first line management used in and out of the hospital when dealing with cardiac arrest. When you train with us at Los Angeles CPR, you will learn how to give chest compressions and ventilations to infants, toddlers, and adults. We also teach our trainees how to give rescue breaths through a bag valve mask and using a barrier device (mouth-to-mouth).
Defibrillation is the last core skill we include in our basic CPR programs. It is done with an automated external defibrillator (AED) that sends electricity from the machine through the pads placed on the chest to the heart. Internal defibrillators are available as well, but are only used during open-chest surgeries.
Here are a few of our programs available at Los Angeles CPR.
- Basic CPR and AED training (general public) – As our only general public course, this program runs for 4 hours over a single session, teaching the three core skills/techniques in CPR.
- Basic CPR and AED training – This is the healthcare provider version of the basic course for the public, focusing on single person CPR rescue as well. It runs slightly longer for 4.5 hours.
- Basic Life Support for HCPs – This program is also 4.5 hours, both focuses on one and two person CPR rescue. It also teaches students about the Basic Life Support guidelines from the AHA.