Save a life
Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) – CPR Awareness
You are watching television at home with your family. A family member clutches their chest and slumps forward in their chair. You find they are not breathing. Would you know what to do? Would you know how to do it? Would you be confident?
I was watching a television show the other night which was a documentary about Kings College Hospital in London’s emergency department. A 78 year old man was brought in by ambulance from a gym where he had collapsed. Staff there noticed he was not breathing – he was dead! A staff member started CPR in less than a minute, another staff member brought an automatic defibrillator and it advised a shock be given. An ambulance had been called and when they arrived the patient was conscious.
Once in hospital tests were conducted and in the ensuing days the man was given by-pass surgery. He is still living a useful life.
This is a terrific example of what prompt help can achieve.
The Dayboro Local Ambulance Committee are starting to offer sessions titled CPR Awareness. The sessions last about 90 minutes and are not a course to give you a certificate but will give you the opportunity to learn or refresh everything you need to know to help when someone suffers a cardiac arrest. You will have the opportunity to try CPR on professional equipment designed to closely replicate the real thing.
Sessions will be open to anyone interested. Some sessions will be organised for groups in the area and others offered at public halls and the like and open to anyone. You are never too old to benefit and even quite young children can benefit even if it is only to be able to tell someone bigger how to help.
The first public session will be held at the Dayboro Community Hall on Sunday November 22nd at 1:30pm. If you want more information call me, Stephen Durley, on 0412 734 982. Come along and gain confidence, everyone can do it. The sessions are offered free as a service to the community but donations will be appreciated.
For more information call Stephen Durley 0412 734 982. *
