First Aid: The Often-Overlooked Life Skill.

First aid training helps save lives. It is that simple. On the job, in your home, or in the community, knowing first aid allows you to help someone who is injured or suddenly ill until help arrives or they are able to see a health care provider. The importance of getting trained in first aid and CPR cannot be overstated and is proven invaluable in emergency situations.  

Here are the top five reasons you should take first aid and CPR classes:  
 
 
You could save a life. 
The absolute number one reason you need to take a first aid and CPR course is because you could save someone’s life. Approximately 400,000 people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest. Performing the simple and effective act of CPR helps preserve the individual’s brain function during cardiac arrest, increasing the chance of keeping their blood flowing and keeping them alive. 
 
You could make them feel safe when they need it the most. 
Knowing the lifesaving skills that most first aid and CPR training courses offer, enables you to increase patient comfort during a medical emergency. Not all emergencies require hospitalization, but knowing important techniques such as proper bandaging or what to do when your child has a fever or a bad bruise. By learning these invaluable tools, you can better stay calm and help the patient feel less anxious and more at ease. 
 
You could prevent a situation from worsening. 
In some cases, if a person does not receive immediate first aid care, their symptoms may worsen or deteriorate. When you are properly trained and certified, you will be able to stabilize the patient until emergency medical services arrive. Helping prevent worsening situations makes you a valuable link in the chain of support and survival. 

You could be of more value to your community. 
Being certified in basic life support makes you more valuable in your community, home, and workplace. Sadly, CPR is not known by enough people. The more people who take the time to be trained, the better the chances are that you are able to help save someone else’s life, and if ever needed, someone will be there to save yours. Take a certification course with friends and loved ones. 

Most Cardiac Arrests Happen at Home 
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 80% of cardiac arrests happen at home. This could be the case for Maldives as well seeing as Heart problems or other underlying problems that could lead to Cardiac Arrests are quite common in the Maldives. Furthermore, for every minute that passes without CPR, the victim’s chance of survival decreases between seven and ten percent. Knowing CPR can help you save your loved one when you are able to perform CPR as quickly as possible. 
 
 
Getting trained in first aid and CPR are the most important things you can do to help ensure the life of someone suffering from a medical emergency. At Health Street, there are various formats and courses offered, including in-person, group, and online certification courses. Getting trained in first aid and CPR can make a difference in the lives around you.