Know what to do in an emergency? Four members of the HealthSmart editorial team road-tested CPR123, a $43.95 kit available from St John Ambulance. Would it help them to learn or refresh life-saving resuscitation skills without the need to attend a professionally led class? Or would a box containing an inflatable manikin, booklet and instructional DVD be the very last thing they’d want to unpack after a busy day in the office?
On the team:
Jonathan Empson, chief subeditor: “I last learnt how to do this in the scouts.”
Nicole Wraight, reporter/researcher: “I was dreading having to watch a boring instructional programme.”
John Yates, art director: “I had a vague idea of what to do before this.”
Sarah Etchells, reporter/researcher: “CPR? No idea what to do.”
The task:
Kneel down in front of a TV, read a booklet, watch a DVD, and practise mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions on a plastic “patient”.
Was it easy to follow?
Sarah: “Simple. The language used was straightforward and easy to understand.”
Jonathan: “The booklet and DVD cover the same ground. Kids could follow the DVD easily. It took me about an hour to complete the whole programme.”
Nicole: “It was uncomplicated and clear cut.”
John Yates: “It wasn’t rushed and I had time for the information to sink in. The repetition in each section is good and gets the message across.”
How was the dummy?
Jonathan: “The ‘Mini Anne’ dummy is useful – it forces you to ensure you’re sealing the nose properly and not squashing the throat when providing mouth-to-mouth, and there’s a feedback device in the chest that clicks when you’re doing chest compression to show you’ve pressed hard enough – I’m sure most people are initially nervous about pressing too hard, especially on children.”
Sarah: “I know this is a serious issue, but doing the compressions to the beat of the music was actually fun. This programme has really opened my eyes to what to do if someone is not breathing and needs help.”
Nicole: “Having the manikin makes it seem more real. I learnt how to breathe for another person, how to compress the chest, how to tilt the head back and to hold it in the correct way. I’d probably watch the DVD and practise with the manikin a few more times before I would be confident to use CPR in a real situation. I was surprised at how quick the chest compressions needed to be – that music just got faster and faster!”
John: “The best part for me was learning the value of taking control in an emergency. When you’ve got some idea of what to do, I think there’d be less panic and probably a better outcome for the person in need. I do feel more confident after using this kit that I could perform CPR.”
Worst part?
Jonathan: “The scariest thing about the whole exercise is opening the box and being confronted by the lifeless (and eyeless) Mini Anne. She’s clearly beyond help, what with having no arms, no legs and no lower torso…”
Conclusion:
John: “I do feel more confident after using this kit that I could perform CPR.”
Sarah: “Everyone should watch this DVD. The time flew by – I think this would be great for schools and workplaces.”
Jonathan: “I feel fairly confident to perform CPR now– though perhaps not if the victim was pregnant or an infant.”
Nicole: “I feel I know the very basics, which is better than nothing! For the small cost of this kit, I would definitely recommend it to others.”
The kit is available via www.stjohn.org.au.
|
