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Cardiac Kids

Class teaches kids what to do in case of cardiac event

Staff photos by Gage Cureton Attendees of the youth focused CPR/AED training class perform CPR on dummies at Washington Learning Center Thursday. Attendees learned how to perform CPR, how to use an AED and how to recognize an emergency.

NEW ULM — According to Jeff Allerson, a Wellness Coordinator in Allina Health’s Occupational Health and Wellness Department, nearly 10,000 kids and infants experience a cardiac event every year.

During a Youth Focused CPR/AED Training class at Washington Learning Center Thursday, Allerson told attendees that adults aren’t the only people susceptible to cardiac arrest or heart attacks.

“Generally when you think of a cardiac event you think of an older person like myself having a heart attack or something like that,” Allerson said. “But it can happen to kids as well.”

Attendees in Allerson’s class are currently babysitting or soon will be in the near future. With summer break in full swing, and schools not in session, some parents and guardians may require a babysitter to watch their children while they’re away at work.

Allerson said knowing CPR and how to treat an unresponsive person is a valuable tool a child or a babysitter could possess.

“Clearly not all kids that are going to be babysitting take a class or know how to do that,” he said. “But the incident could happen where a kid chokes or they lose responsiveness or stop breathing. Clearly knowing this information might be the difference between life and death in a lot of situations.”

Allerson’s class featured hands-on CPR dummy demonstrations on the core skills of CPR and the operation of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Allerson said if a person happens upon an unresponsive individual, they should immediately assess the situation and use the “check, call, check” process. He said a person should first check for responsiveness, call 911 and then begin CPR if it’s immediately required.

“If you’re not sure if someone is responsive, call 911 and begin CPR,” he said to the class.

Attendees of the class also learned procedures for performing CPR such as proper hand placement slightly below the sternum, the importance of performing CPR on flat surfaces and

head tilt chin lift method that requires CPR performers to pinch the nose and chin of an individual and then tilt the head away from their body.

“Just knowing that information in general is important,” Allerson said. “I think it gives parents more confidence in who’s watching their kids if they have that knowledge. I know personally I’d feel much better if the babysitter watching my child knew what to do if my kid started choking. Not a lot of kids that age know that.”

Allerson recommends that if an individual is not CPR trained or certified, they should still attempt to revive an unresponsive person after calling 911.

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