Both the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association offer compression-only CPR training in addition to traditional CPR instruction.

 

The Red Cross uses a program called “CPR Made Simple” which takes about one hour and costs $20. Information about classes and times can be obtained through your local Red Cross chapter. Many locations will arrange group training sessions with advanced notice.  www.redcross.org

CPR Anytime

Many people who receive training in CPR do so as a part of employment training ($40). On average, they are younger than the typical witness to a OHCA. To address the challenge of training adults who are in the age group of interest, the American Heart Association, in association with Laerdal Medical Corporation, produced the CPR Anytime kit which sells for around $40 and can be used for training individuals or groups. Purchasing information can be found on the Internet.

 

The kit includes a small inflatable manikin (light skinned or dark skinned) and a DVD (Spanish and English) with a do-along demonstration of compression-only CPR as well as instructions for using an AED. The training does not have to be delivered by an official instructor, but it does require the availability of a DVD player. The compression only CPR self-instructional program can be completed in as few as 10 minutes. If the student wants to learn more, such as providing rescue breathing for children, the DVD has additional chapters available.

This product was designed to be shared with the learner’s family members and friends, multiplying the number of individuals trained with one kit and reducing the cost per person of the training. If students use the kits in school, they can be asked to train their parents and grandparents, thereby reaching adults who are most likely to witness cardiac arrest.

While the kits are readily accepted by individuals, they may often be shelved, and unused unless a training session is scheduled. Scheduling a training session using a leader, in a setting such as a brown bag lunch at work, before dinner at home, or after church services, is one strategy for ensuring that the box does get used.

Using the kits to train a large number of individuals may not be feasible due to cost restraints. Some communities have found that reusing more durable manikins is more economical.

Reusable, Portable Torso Manikins

While it is not essential to use CPR manikins to teach compression-only CPR to lay rescuers, having a realistic chest upon which they can practice the skill is helpful. The type of manikin shown at right provides an excellent, reusable training platform, is easy to clean, and is simple to package for travel.

The cost may be a barrier for some programs, but if a community group is providing a fair number of classes per year, these “dummies” may work well. Your training group may find that they are able to recoup the cost through donations or a small fee charged for the training. Information on obtaining these manikins can be found by searching the Internet.