CPR Saves Senior Citizen’s Life in Tampa

Written by Benjamin Roussey

 An 89-year old man has been admitted, in serious condition, to the burn unit at Tampa General Hospital, following a fire that gutted his home.

The elderly man named Charles “Luke” Davis lived on 22nd Avenue South in St. Petersburg where he became trapped by a major fire. Neighbors smelled smoke but failed to rescue the man due to the raging fire that had engulfed his entire home.

Neighbor Marcus Byrd says, “Me and the next door neighbor opened the back door and tried to go inside. But I ended up getting burned and couldn’t get in.”

Fortunately for Davis, the Fire Rescue units of St. Petersburg happened to be close to the site dealing with another call – enabling them to respond to this call quickly. They took less than five minutes to reach the site. Two firefighters crawled into the home through the back door.

Firefighter Chris Spafford says, “It was very smoky. I couldn’t see anything. There was a pretty good amount of heat. The only thing that really led me to the victim was, I heard him cough.”

Spafford along with his fellow firefighter Brad Williams brought the victim out of the burning home into the backyard.

Davis was in a state of respiratory arrest and the firefighters used CPR to revive him.

He was rushed to the Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg at first, and then moved to Tampa General to treat burns to his throat.

Davis is a retired city worker, and lives alone. The neighbors look after Davis, and he recently attended two different Thanksgiving dinners at his neighbors’ homes.

Dana Sims considers Davis as an uncle and spends time with him. He says that Davis got the nickname “Luke” long ago.

Sims recalls, “He was called Luke Lightning. When he was 13, in Mulberry, Florida where he was born, he was struck by lightning. So when he recovered, everyone started calling him Luke Lightning.”

A number of people in the neighborhood like to call him Mr. Luke. People are hoping that Mr. Luke’s luck holds out and he can manage to recover well from his injuries.

Safety on the beach

written by Pearl Salkin |

What could be better than spending a beautiful spring day at the beach? Kids living at the coast or lakeside have perennially played hooky on a hot May day to enjoy the sand and the surf. Similarly, grandmas and grandpas in Miami and throughout the Sunshine State often find the call of the warm waves irresistible and head for their favorite spot of sandy turf. While some fresh sea air and a natural helping of vitamin D can be good for the body and spirit, it’s wise to be aware of the dangers that lurk in the deep and on dry land, too.

Lightning – The expression “a bolt out of the blue” never rings truer than when someone is struck by lightning that seems to come from a cloudless sky. The National Severe Storms Laboratory, a research and education division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has confirmed the notion that lightning can strike a person or object that is 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Scientists say that the highest point on a plane – like a tree on a golf course or a person standing on a beach – is more likely to be struck during a thunderstorm than a short shrub or a person lying down and making a lower vertical profile. They also must admit that they don’t know everything about lightning’s behavior. Strikes are often unpredictable and random.

It would be prudent to pay attention to weather warnings far in advance of approaching storms. If the sky above is clear but storm clouds seem to be gathering in the distance, don’t wait to hear the first clap of thunder. It’s time to seek a safer place.

Jellyfish and sharks and sharp seashells, oh my!

A walk along the beach or a dip in the ocean or river can be an invigorating and refreshing experience on a hot summer day. Or it can be a dangerous encounter with some of nature’s not-so-nice offerings.

The ocean is full of wondrous creatures. Sharks and jellyfish are just two. But an encounter with either will not be pleasant and could possibly be life threatening.

Only in rare circumstances would a jellyfish sting be more than a little painful and irritating. When stung by one at a beach that has a lifeguard on duty, first aid is readily available. If there is no lifeguard or roaming beach patrol, a quick trip to the supermarket for some vinegar is the common way to treat a minor sting. But in rare circumstances, a sting can be life threatening, causing a person to experience sudden cardiac arrest. If no trained first responder is nearby, the victim should be given CPR until professional help is on the scene.

Shark attacks are always dangerous. The best way for swimmers and surfers to protect themselves is to avoid areas and situations known to attract sharks. Among the many tips offered by George H. Burgess, senior biologist in ichthyology (the study of fishes) at the Florida Museum of Natural History, the University of Florida, and other experts in the field are these:

Don’t swim during popular shark feeding times – at dawn and dusk. Don’t go too far from shore or where there are sandbars or steep drop-offs. Don’t wear shiny jewelry that would give an impression that you are a fish with scales. Don’t go into the water if you see large groups of fish, seabirds or dolphins. Sharks devour them and you wouldn’t want to be dessert. Don’t swim or surf alone. Many a buddy has saved a buddy’s life.

Seashells are fascinating creations. But if you cut your foot on a broken one, that could result in a painful and bloody mess. In that case, seek some first aid. Lifeguards are trained and equipped to handle all sorts of mishaps. If no help is onsite and the injury is minor, use common sense. Try to keep the wound as clean as possible. If the gash is gushing, use pressure to stop the bleeding and seek immediate medical attention.

Paying it forward – Sudden cardiac arrest survivor saves a classmate

Survivors of sudden cardiac arrest usually feel lucky to be alive. Their rescuer was in the right place, at the right time and ready to use their CPR skills to save the victim‘s life.. While the successful outcome of each individual who has come back from the brink is surely something to celebrate, one young recipient of CPR now knows how wonderful it feels to be on the giving side of saving a life.

Tyler Byall was a high school junior in Fort Wayne, Indiana last year when he went into cardiac arrest while asleep. His mother, Kristi Polcsak, immediately performed CPR on him, keeping him alive until paramedics arrived to transport him to the hospital. Thanks to Polcsak’s quick action and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) by the paramedics, Byall made a complete recovery.

On September 21, 2011, one year and one day after his own life threatening incident, Byall was wrapping up another normal school day at North Side High School when classmate Abey Luttman was standing near her locker. Luttman went into sudden cardiac arrest and Byall went into action. Byall began CPR on Littman and was assisted by a teacher and others as school nurse Sunny Stachera retrieved the school’s AED. Stachera used the AED, and Littman was soon transported to the hospital, where she was treated and released days later.

Both Byall and Littman were truly blessed to have come through such a life-or-death ordeal. Coincidentally, each of them now has an implanted defibrillator, something that many cardiologists are now employing to make sure that their patients have smooth sailing into the future.

Byall’s story as victim and victor has shed much needed light on how important the immediate and most heroic efforts by bystanders and family members are in saving a life.

In October, the Fort Wayne School Board honored Byall and the others who helped save Littman’s life. And they did it with more than just some words of gratitude and a certificate. The story of survival was brought to the attention of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association, Indiana chapter. That acclaimed organization, in recognition of the fast-acting intervention by Byall and his co-rescuers, donated a piece of medical equipment that is worth more than its weight in gold, a Powerheart G3 AED to the Ward Alternative School in Fort Wayne.

Miracle in Marin

The call came in to the Marin County, California Fire Department: “Bicyclist down”. Dispatchers say they get a lot of such calls, usually involving minor injuries. This one was different.

 

When a fire truck and paramedics rolled up to the scene, a bystander was performing CPR on the downed cyclist, who’d had a heart attack. EMS personnel took over the life-saving effort and restored the victim’s heartbeat. Taken to a nearby hospital, the patient recovered and was discharged a few weeks later. All in a day’s work, you might say, for firefighters and paramedics, although that work requires a special kind of individual. But in this case, they say the victim surely would have died had it not been for the bystander’s training in CPR and quick action.

 

The vast majority of people who suffer cardiac arrest die before receiving medical attention. The margin for error, the difference between life and death, is only a few minutes. In cases where CPR is quickly initiated, the successful recovery rate jumps to 30%. Pretty low, you think? Without CPR, the survival rate is zero, unless of course the heart attack takes place in a hospital or outside a fire station. Of course, that almost never happens in day-to-day life.

 

The recommended technique for CPR has changed in recent years. The old method, alternating chest compressions with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, has been superseded by the hands-only approach. The only exception is in cases where the problem is respiratory, as in near-drowning. Otherwise, the most urgent necessity is to keep blood circulating through chest compressions until help arrives.

 

Like anything else, CPR is easy – if you know how to do it. The training is so easy and takes so little time, that’s hard to think of a reason not to receive it, especially considering what’s at stake: a human life, with infinite potential never realized unless someone nearby knows CPR and applies it quickly. Why shouldn’t that someone be you?

CPR is not something you do on the living

I recently met a woman in a class who stated that she never performed CPR, but almost did.  I asked for more information and found out that she had looked out her front window one morning just in time to see a man collapse near her mailbox.  She said that she “would have performed CPR, but he was already dead”.  I think it is very important to remind people that we are NOT performing CPR on people who are living & breathing.  CPR alone, will not bring them back, but will provide oxygen to the organs that need it, especially the brain, until they can receive life saving measures  at the hospital and maybe actually survive with a quality life..

Father and Daughter Saved

A Chicago man and his daughter were saved from drowning in choppy Lake Michigan, when fast-acting bystanders pulled them from the water. The father undoubtedly would have died on shore if a rescuer hadn’t put his CPR training to quick use.

The 14-year old girl was floundering in waves up to four feet high off a beach in St. Joseph, Michigan. She called to her father for help, but he was overcome too. A nearby swimmer pulled the daughter to safety, while two others went to the father’s aid. When they got Fidel Chavez to shore, he was unconscious. One of the good Samaritans began CPR on the 49-year old man, and when medical help arrived, his breathing and heartbeat had been restored. He was later released from a local hospital.

This is a story of heroism, of course, but it also underscores the fact that knowing which CPR method to use makes the difference between life and death. When someone collapses suddenly, the cause is almost always heart attack. In that case, the American Heart Association emphasizes that restoring or replacing the heartbeat through Continuous Chest Compressions (CCC), rather than alternating between compressions and breaths into the victim’s lungs, greatly increases both survival and successful outcomes.

On the other hand, if the problem is respiratory – as in drug overdose, choking or near drowning – traditional CPR still is recommended. How to tell the difference? One word: training, which also is the key to proper application. Understanding the situation doesn’t help much if we don’t know how to respond, but fast. The first few minutes are critical.

Like so many things in life, CPR is simple once I’ve been taught how to do it. And, like riding a bicycle, the knowledge stays with me. The statistics are unequivocal: your chances of surviving a critical event without further complications increase three-fold if at least one person nearby knows CPR and begins it quickly. Those are great odds, especially considering the alternative. Ask Fidel Chavez and his family.

“Why am I here?” It’s a question most of us ask ourselves at one time or another. Anyone who’s been trained in CPR and puts it to good use – on a stranger or, more poignantly, a loved one – always will have an answer

Weekly American Heart CPR training in St Petersburg area

In-Pulse CPR is now offering weekly CPR classes in St Petes and Pinellas Park neighborhoods. These public classes offer CPR and / or First Aid certifications for Healthcare (BLS) and non-healthcare (Heartsaver) at convenient locations and times says a spokesman for the company.

View St Petersburg and Pinellas Park CPR class calendar now

 

The American Heart is one of the most respected sources for CPR training in the world. In-Pulse CPR offers public classes taught by American Heart certified instructors at 6 class locations in the Tampa Bay area. All our instructors are nurses, EMT’s, Firefighters, etc and offer many interesting stories in their classes to help make the class fun.

Remember In-Pulse CPR for all your CPR and First Aid training requirements.

 

In-Pulse CPR main office
6613 State Road 54
New Port Richey, FL 34653

813-343-4024

You Can Learn A Lot From A CPR Dummy!

An Intersection of Need and Know-how

Some might call it a bizarre set of coincidences, while others would say it was divine intervention. Either way, the fact that a 22-month old girl survived cardiac arrest was a miracle directly attributable to the CPR training of a passerby.

 

The toddler was visiting with relatives in St. Catharine’s, Canada, when the crisis happened. An ear infection worsened and the little girl had a seizure that stopped her heart. Her uncle got on his cell phone and called 911, but with other family members panicking, he couldn’t hear the emergency operator. So Glen Curnock stepped outside to get away from the noise. That’s when fate – or God – intervened.

 

Loraine Gray was passing by and heard the panic in Curnock’s voice. Curious, she paused and heard the man say something about a child who wasn’t breathing. After Curnock ended the call, Gray asked if anyone was performing CPR on the baby. Curnock said no; none of the child’s relatives knew how. Loraine Gray did. She followed Curnock inside and began performing CPR on the toddler, privately thinking she might be too late because the girl’s lips were blue from lack of oxygen. But she persevered until paramedics arrived in a short time and took over. The little girl would be okay.

 

A few days later, Loraine Gray, who’d learned CPR at the YMCA where she works, was still a bit unnerved by events: “I’m still a little shook up and humbled by all this,” she said, “It was a shock but it turned out the way it was supposed to be.” No doubt that’s true, but the situation would have turned out very differently if Gray hadn’t happened by at just the right moment, if she hadn’t been trained in CPR and been willing to help.

 

Her story could be yours, mine or anyone’s and often is. Lives are saved daily by people who know CPR and act quickly in critical situations. These acts of heroism sometimes are unremarked by any but those who are directly involved. Consider, however, the good done by those whose lives have been saved, also unheralded. All made possible by the simple process of learning CPR. It is, as Loraine Gray observed, humbling.

Trained in CPR

You’re never too young to have a heart attack – or too young to save the life of someone who’s had one. Beth Scroggs was only 52 and in good health, riding San Francisco BART commuter train, when suddenly she slumped over in her seat, unconscious. Ms. Scroggs had suffered a cardiac arrest, the leading cause of natural death in the United States. But Beth Scroggs didn’t die.

 

Regaining consciousness in a hospital several days later, Ms. Scroggs learned that her life had been saved by a fellow passenger, a girl 15 years old! While other bystanders stood by helplessly, young Sara Broski immediately began chest compressions on the unconscious woman. She’d only learned CPR a few weeks earlier.

Sadly, most heart attack victims die before receiving medical attention. But their chances of successful recovery increase exponentially if CPR is begun quickly by a trained bystander. The operative word is quickly. The chance of death from cardiac arrest  increases up to ten percent for every minute that passes before CPR is begun. What’s more, the victim begins to suffer brain damage from lack of oxygenated blood in just a very few minutes.

 

Learning CPR is easy with proper training, which takes very little time. Compare that modest expenditure of time with the extra years someone like Beth Scroggs has been granted to spend with her family and friends – time which, without the effort of young Sara Broski, would have been denied to her and lost to them. No price can be put on such a commodity.

There really is no excuse for not learning CPR. If you think you have one, like you’re too busy or can’t be bothered, think again. Think of Beth Scroggs, alive today through the simple heroism of a young girl. And think of a loved one of your own and what you’d do if he or she had a heart attack. It’s a pretty simple equation.

Guarding Life

Live power lines and oncoming traffic didn’t deter a Massachusetts prison guard from saving the life of a man who’d suffered a heart attack while driving. Credit goes to a combination of bravery, fast action and CPR training.
Edward Johansen was driving along Route 140 in Norton early in the afternoon when he saw a car veer off the road and crash into a telephone pole, splitting it in half. Thinking and acting quickly, he pulled over and yanked the victim out of the wreckage. The man was turning blue and had no pulse. Johansen had to avoid downed electrical lines and, because of them, pull the man into the street, where he began CPR despite the danger from cars passing by. Another motorist called for help and in a short time, a truck driver stopped and used his vehicle to block traffic.

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Register for a CPR class today!

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It didn’t take very long for paramedics to reach the scene, but it’s likely the victim would have died or suffered brain damage if it hadn’t been for Johansen’s courage and knowledge of CPR. Emergency personnel took over and transported the man to a hospital, while Johansen went home, not knowing the man’s fate. Later that night, he was overjoyed to receive a phone call, letting him know his heroism had paid off: the guy was doing well.

 

Some weeks later, at an award ceremony honoring Johansen for his actions, he got to meet the man whose life he’d saved. As it happens, both are 45 years old, live in the same town and have two children. “It just made me realize how important life is,” Johansen said. “The fact that he was my age and has two children – I just saved a dad, a husband and a father.” It was a dramatic reminder that often, many lives intersect at the same moment in time. All would have experienced tragedy if not for Edward Johansen’s training in CPR and willingness to apply it, even at his own risk.

 

Most of the time, the sort of extraordinary bravery documented here isn’t necessary, although it’s encouraging to know it exists. What’s usually needed in the event of heart attack, of which there are 1.5 million a year in the United States, is for someone nearby to know CPR and start it quickly. Only a few hours of training stand between you  and the ability to do unimaginable good.

 

HCC Hillsborough Community College nursing students welcome to attend our CPR Training Classes

HCC Nursing students CPR Training Classes

We have a large amount of nursing and dental students who take our classes over an equivalent college offered course. Please be assured that all nursing or dental programs in the area will accept our program to fulfill your CPR requirements. When signing up please select a BLS for Healthcare course .

At In-Pulse CPR we take pride in our quality of teaching. We use the latest technology and state-of-the-art equipment to provide for an interactive, experiential learning environment. We make sure that each student leaves the classroom feeling confident in the skills they gained. Our classes are fun too!

We offer CPR certification at multiple locations across Tampa Bay.

BLS Healthcare CPR / Heath care Professional – This is the certification Hillsborough Community College nursing, dental or EMT students would need to register for. These classes are showing in yellow on our calendar.


Click here to View our Class Calendar


 

American Health Institute Port Richey students welcome to attend our CPR Training Classes

American Health Institute FL available CPR Training Classes

We have a large amount of Medical Assistants and nursing students who take our classes over an equivalent college offered course. Please be assured that all nursing programs in the area will accept our program to fulfill your CPR requirements. When signing up please select a BLS for Healthcare course .

At In-Pulse CPR we take pride in our quality of teaching. We use the latest technology and state-of-the-art equipment to provide for an interactive, experiential learning environment. We make sure that each student leaves the classroom feeling confident in the skills they gained. Our classes are fun too!

We offer CPR certification at multiple locations across Tampa Bay.


Click here to View our Class Calendar

 

BLS Healthcare CPR / Heath care Professional – This is the certification American Health Institute nursing students would need to register for. These classes are showing in yellow on our calendar.  Click on link above to view our available classes.

 

New Port Richey CPR Training Classes

New Port Richey First Aid Training Classes  |  New Port Richey AED Training Classes

Our classes are fun and complete, open to anyone, provide a two-year American Heart certification, and make use of only the most current training materials.  At In-Pulse CPR we take pride in our quality of teaching. We use the latest technology and state-of-the-art equipment to provide for an interactive, experiential learning environment. We make sure that each student leaves the classroom feeling confident in the skills they gained.

Click here to View our Class Calendar

Recent Reviews from those who have attended an In-Pulse CPR training class at our training facility in New Port Richey Florida:

  • Excellent presentation.  Left with a great deal of knowledge
  • Top notch training
  • Best one I have [ever] taken!
  • Best CPR course I’ve had in 27 years as an RN
  • Mollie is fantastic!
  • Very satisfied
  • Best CPR course I have ever taken!
  • The best CPR course I have ever taken.  Mollie was an excellent instructor, clear, to the point and easily understood.
  • Very interesting course!
  • Was very pleased with the instructors approach
  • Overall, this course was very informative and can now apply many new skills for CPR
  • [Instructor] definitely helped this soon-to-be mom feel more comfortable if (godforbid) an emergency happens
  • Great instructor

Near by to New Port Richey Florida:  Hudson, Holiday, Palm Harbor Elfers, Trinity, Odessa, Jasmine Estates, Bayonet Point, Spring Hill

Mease Countryside Hospital

Community Hospital NPR

Galen College of Nursing students welcome to attend our CPR Training Classes

Galen School of Nursing FL CPR Training Classes

We have a large amount of nursing and dental students who take our classes over an equivalent college offered course.   Please be assured that all nursing or dental programs in the area will accept our program to fulfill your CPR requirements.   When signing up please select a BLS for Healthcare course .

At In-Pulse CPR we take pride in our quality of teaching. We use the latest technology and state-of-the-art equipment to provide for an interactive, experiential learning environment. We make sure that each student leaves the classroom feeling confident in the skills they gained.  Our classes are fun too!

We offer CPR certification at multiple locations across Tampa Bay.

 
Click here to View our Class Calendar 

We offer the following certifications:

Heartsaver CPR

Heartsaver AED

BLS Healthcare CPR / Heath care Professional – This is the certification Galen College nursing, dental or EMT students would need to register for.  These classes are showing in yellow on our calendar.

Heartsaver First Aid

and More…

A Life Saved, Automatically!

Bystanders performing CPR and law enforcement officers equipped with a readily-available electronic device saved the life of a 74-year old heart attack victim in Cayucos, California. In both cases, a few hours of training made all the difference.

Ben Hunt was having dinner with his wife at a restaurant, when he looked through the window and saw a man collapse on the sidewalk across the street. The couple rushed over. Hunt felt for the man’s pulse and, finding none, began chest-compression CPR, assisted by his wife. A woman passing by, also trained in the life-saving technique, pitched in to help.

A 911 call brought two San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s deputies to the scene. One took over CPR, while the other retrieved an Automated External Defibrillator from the trunk of their cruiser. Use of the AED restored the victim’s normal heart rhythm, and after paramedics transported the man to a hospital emergency room, he was reported alert and talking with family members.

There’s nothing mysterious about using either CPR or the AED. The portable device is designed to diagnose and treat severe cardiac arrhythmia by delivering a shock to the heart, automatically! You don’t have to call a “code blue” or wait for the arrival of medical personnel, but you should get some training in use of the AED, which is very inexpensive. Fortunately, that training is part of the simple process of learning CPR at any American Heart Association-approved facility.

About one third – 500-thousand – of this country’s annual heart attack victims survive. The rate skyrockets in direct proportion to the speed with which CPR is employed, and climbs even higher when an AED is used. And it’s not merely survival: coming away from a cardiac arrest without serious medical complications depends on quick and proper application of CPR. Life itself and life quality hang in the balance in the minutes following a heart attack.

In the past few years, the Heart Association has adopted new guidelines for effective CPR. Whether it’s a stranger or a loved one at home, the life of a heart attack victim may depend on your knowledge of contemporary techniques. Acquiring that knowledge is easy. The rewards are beyond calculation.

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Disclaimer:
Use of any advise on this site is purely at your own risk.  The information supplied is designed to accompany CPR and first aid training not to replace.  In-Pulse CPR, Inc disclaims any liability for losses you incur as a result of inaccuracy of the information provided on this website.  Information on this site is for education, supplemental to examination by and advice of medical professionals.   Any information regarding first aid treatments is not meant to replace the advice of medical professionals including physicians, paramedics, emergency room attendants, nurses or other licensed medical personnel.