Red Cross to Add CPR Feedback Devices to Help Improve Training Skills

WASHINGTON, June 1, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- It's National CPR/AED Awareness Week and the American Red Cross urges everyone to get trained on how to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) so they can help save lives.

Starting in January 2018, as a commitment to improve student training, the Red Cross will incorporate CPR feedback devices in all classes delivered directly by Red Cross and recommend CPR feedback device usage for all training partners.

Through the use of this CPR feedback technology, the Red Cross is advancing First Aid and CPR training. Both The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) and the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council have evaluated international evidence determining that feedback devices improve students' CPR skills.

"Use of CPR feedback devices will improve course participants' chest compression rate, the depth of their compressions and their hand position." said Richard N. Bradley, MD, FACEP, member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council and chair of its Resuscitation Sub-Council. "All of these components are vital to performing high-quality CPR."

Every second counts when someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest. Receiving high-quality CPR and the use of an AED increase their chance of survival. Individuals, families, businesses and schools have a variety of training options including in-person classes held at convenient locations with hands-on training from experienced instructors. Online and blended learning courses (combining hands-on training with online content) are also available.

Red Cross training is OSHA compliant. People should check with their employer to determine what class they need if they are taking training to fulfill a job requirement. Course information and registration is available at redcross.org/takeaclass.

The free Red Cross First Aid App provides instant access to information on handling the most common first aid emergencies. Download it by searching for 'American Red Cross' in your app store or at redcross.org/apps.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

SOURCE American Red Cross

Related Links

http://www.redcross.org