Health Training: BLS & CPR

Why Are CPR and BLS Important?

When it comes to life or death, over 420,000 people die from cardiac arrest and 4,000 die of drowning each year. Drug overdose (OD), suffocation, choking, and unconsciousness are deadly situations that are common in today's society. Unfortunately, not many know how to save others in these situations which leads to less likelihood of survival for those afflicted.

“65% of people in the United States say they've received CPR training […] only 18% of people are up to date on their training.”(Harvard Health Publishing, ‘Why don’t more people know CPR?’). This is unfortunate as there are reportedly 333.4 million people living in the US alone and less than that number know basic CPR practice on others, with only a small fraction keeping up with re-qualifications.

What is CPR?

Additional information that can be beneficial to you before you start is knowing what CPR is. CPR, also known as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Chest Compressions, is a lifesaving technique used regularly in the medical field, especially by EMTs (Emergency Medical Technician).

It is used when someone is going through cardiac arrest, which is, according to the NIH (National Heart, Lung, and Heart Institute), when the heart suddenly stops pumping, causing both the organs and the brain to lack blood flow. Other situations CPR is used in are in cases of drowning, unconsciousness, and drug overdose which is defined as “ [...] taking too much of a substance, whether it’s prescription, over-the-counter [...] may be accidental or intentional.” (Healthline).

What is BLS?

If you want to not only get a CPR certificate, there is also another form of training that is more advanced than the CPR training and offers training in a variety of life saving techniques. and offers training in a variety of over life saving techniques. This practice is called BLS or Basic Life Support.

BLS training is usually taken by emergency workers like nurses, firefighters, police, and more. Depending on the program they may have courses available for high school students. If not, in some schools they do have courses available for students, and, as said by NIH, it is always good for people, especially students to know how to take on these situations (‘Basic Life Support Awareness and Knowledge in High School Students’).

CPR vs. BLS

The only big difference between these two training courses is that BLS also goes into more life-saving techniques that are not limited to CPR. They also go into specifics for BLS on infants, adults, children, and many other things such as how to use an AED (automatic external defibrillator), but what skills you will be trained in may differ depending on where you take the course (American Heart Association).

Where To Get CPR/BLS Certification

The internet allows for people to connect with certified groups of people for basic CPR training in their area. You can connect locally with groups in the Bay area, such as the American Red Cross, Heart Start CPR, Revive CPR, Safety Training Seminars, and many more available classes to work in groups with certified instructors.