Avoid Secondhand Smoke to Prevent Heart Attacks and Louisville CPR Classes

Like smoking, secondhand smoke exposure is as big a risk factor for having a life-threatening heart attack. Breathing secondhand smoke can result in the cells in the blood that are responsible for clotting (platelets) to become stickier increasing the likelihood for blood to clot which can cause formation of a clot that may block an artery, causing a heart attack (myocardial infarction) or stroke. Furthermore, secondhand smoke causes endothelial dysfunction which makes arteries unable to dilate which is associated with many forms of cardiovascular disease.

Secondhand smoke is a combination of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and smoke breathed out by smokers that contains more than 7000 chemicals. The chemicals also irritate the lining of arteries, causing them to swell (inflammation) which can narrow the arteries increasing the risk of having chest pain related to the ticker (angina) and even a heart attack.

Signing up for a CPR certification Louisville program will equip you in the life-saving procedure which will enable you to efficiently handle out-of-hospital cardiac emergencies like a cardiac arrest or heart attack. Seconds count when someone’s blood flow ore breathing stops which can result in permanent brain damage or death. You could save a life if you know how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation which is an emergency procedure for a person whose heart has stopped or is no longer breathing. Proper application of the procedure can maintain circulation and breathing until emergency medical help arrives. For training, select a certified training site such as the AHA certified CPR Louisville in Kentucky.

Secondhand Smoke Facts:

1.      Numerous health problems occur in children and infants that include more frequent and severe asthma attacks, respiratory and ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

2.      During pregnancy, smoking can result in more than 1000 infant deaths annually.

3.      Coronary heart disease, stroke and lung cancer are some of the health conditions caused by secondhand smoke.

Breathing secondhand smoke can have immediate adverse effects on the blood and blood vessels increasing the risk of having a heart attack as it interferes with the normal functioning of the heart, blood and vascular systems. The lining of blood vessels can get damaged even with brief exposure to secondhand smoke causing blood platelets to become stickier which can cause a deadly heart attack.

You can avoid secondhand smoke by:

1.      Avoiding the smoke exhaled by others and avoiding places others are smoking.

2.      Encouraging smokers around you to quit smoking or encouraging them to smoke in outdoor areas which will reduce the amount of secondhand smoke others will breathe.

3.      Giving an explanation of the harmful effects of smoke to others and for the smoker himself.

Avoiding secondhand smoke becomes all the more important for individuals who’ve had a previous heart attack or have been diagnosed with heart disease. Quitting smoking is the best way to reduce heart attack risk.

At CPR Louisville, courses for both healthcare and non-healthcare are offered. You can either register for a class online or call on 502-804-6132 for the same.

Post Coronary Bypass Surgery in the ICU and Louisville PALS Classes

A coronary bypass surgery is a major surgery that a patient undergoes which is considered the best treatment for cardiovascular disease. The body goes through a lot during the surgery which necessitates time to recover and regain strength. The recovery begins in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the hospital which continues in another area of the hospital for 3-5 days prior to going home. After discharge, recovery typically takes six weeks or more.

The best way to handle out-of-hospital cardiac emergencies is by undergoing CPR training in a reputed training site like the AHA certified CPR Louisville in Kentucky. The procedures comprise chest compressions and rescue breaths. Administering the procedures properly can revive the life of a victim involved in life-threatening emergencies like a cardiac arrest or heart attack. There are courses for medical as well as non-medical professionals. Here are some points on a “PALS class Louisville”.

Pediatric Advanced Life Support Classes- This course has been designed for advanced healthcare providers that teaches a systematic approach to the assessment of a sick infant or child. Healthcare providers will be able to quickly identify and treat the pediatric patient’s injury or illness using the PALS evaluate-identify-intervene sequence. The course is led by American Heart Association certified PALS instructors with a critical care medical background.

The course fee is $297.

In the ICU Post Coronary Bypass Surgery:

A patient is moved to the ICU after the surgery because ICU’s are equipped to monitor the vital signs with the medical professionals there being well-trained in safeguarding more vulnerable patients. Anesthesia is used by the cardiac surgeon during coronary bypass surgery and a patient may not wake up from anesthesia for two to four hours. A patient during the time will continue to breathe through the breathing tube with help from a ventilator, a machine that moves air in and out of lungs which enables to breathe easily. The tube is removed only when the patient is being able to breathe on its own. A patient is unable to talk with the tube in place. Apart from that, several other tubes are attached as well, which are removed the day after surgery:

A Catheter- A catheter is inserted in the bladder which enables to monitor the urine.

Stomach Tube- This tube, which is inserted through the nose down to the stomach, prevents nausea and keeps air bloating the stomach.

IV Tubes supply fluids, medications, and blood as required.

An Arterial Line- This is used to monitor blood pressure and draw blood samples. It is a plastic needle in the artery of the arm.

Chest Tubes- The tubes are inserted after the completion of operation to drain fluids thus preventing accumulation of fluid in the chest cavity.

Join a CPR course at CPR Louisville and gain the benefits. You can either register online or call on 502-804-6132.

Treatments for Abnormal Heart Rhythms and ACLS Classes in Louisville, KY

Most cardiac arrest cases occur due to an abnormal heart rhythm called Ventricular Fibrillation (VF), which is an abnormal heart rhythm. A cardiac arrest victim would require immediate treatment for survival and the most appropriate treatment in this regard is the proper application of the CPR techniques which comprise chest compressions and rescue breaths.

There are different types of CPR courses conducted at training centers, some have been designed for healthcare providers while others for non-healthcare providers. Always choose an accredited training center for acquiring training such as the AHA accredited CPR Louisville in Kentucky. Qualified instructors conduct the classes through a series of audio and video lectures and hands-on practice. Today, our focus will be on ACLS certification Louisville program.

Read on to know more:

ACLS Training Classes- An Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) class is designed for those who work in emergency response, intensive care units, the emergency department, anesthesia units, telemetry departments, cardiac catheterization labs, outpatient surgery centers, advanced dentistry, respiratory therapy departments, some pharmacy departments, and many more. Most employers of these departments require employees to be ACLS certified.

In this first time ACLS American Heart Association course, students will utilize their assessment skills, cardiac rhythm interpretation skills, and knowledge of the ACLS treatment algorithms to manage cardiac arrest, cardiovascular emergencies, and respiratory arrest.

The program fee is $297.

Abnormal Heart Rhythms:

Abnormal heart rhythms (often called arrhythmias) are when the heart beats very slowly, very quickly or irregularly which can cause symptoms like dizziness and palpitations. The most common arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation (AF). Medications play a huge role in treating arrhythmias, but sometimes a procedure is necessary which could be an ablation for AF, a pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).

Ablation- This is a treatment for atrial fibrillation. During a cardiac ablation, a thin, hollow catheter is passed into the heart through an artery in the groin or wrist. The doctor pinpoints the tissue where the abnormal signal originates and destroys it with radiofrequency waves (radiofrequency ablation) or by freezing (cryoablation). This can resolve one’s AF.

Where an ablation has not been effective, especially for older people, medications can prove to be beneficial.

Pacemakers- It is mostly people who have either a very slow heart rate, long pauses between heartbeats or AF, who are suggested to go for pacemakers. In heart failure patients, a special ‘biventricular pacemaker’ can help the heart pump more efficiently. The pacemaker starts to function as soon as it is inserted with some people gaining the benefit straight away as their heart rate is increased to a normal rate.

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD)- The main aim of an ICD is to treat rapid abnormal heart rhythms that can lead to cardiac arrest. This is achieved by rapid pacing or by the device giving the heart a direct shock via a special lead. An ICD does not cure any underlying heart condition, but it does give immediate treatment if you ever have a life-threatening abnormal rhythm. ICD helps in treating slow heart rate by using pacing functions, one might not feel any difference in the overall condition if one has an ICD to treat only rapid, life-threatening heart rhythms.

Hope, this information comes for your help.

Contribute towards the safety of cardiac arrest victims by signing up for an ACLS certification Louisville program or any other CPR program of your choice. For more information or to register for a course, call CPR Louisville on 502-804-6132.

A Heart Healthy Diet for Managing Blood Pressure for People in Louisville, KY

High blood pressure and high cholesterol are the two important risk factors of heart disease. It is a heart disease that gives rise to the occurrence of a cardiac arrest and heart attack and these can be quite life-threatening. Keeping the heart healthy can keep heart disease and through that cardiac emergencies at bay. The best way to deal with such emergencies is by going for CPR classes or an ACLS certification Louisville program (it is a CPR program that has been designed for advanced healthcare providers).

For training, always select a certified training center in order to get trained in the hands of certified instructors. Being a resident of the Louisville region in Kentucky, you can sign up for a program at the AHA accredited CPR Louisville which consists of some of the most certified instructors. In the classes, students would get to learn about the life-saving resuscitation techniques that comprise chest compressions and rescue breaths. At the end of the training classes, a student would be eligible for a certification after successfully passing a skills test and a written exam.

It is only proper application of the resuscitation procedures that can revive a victim in the middle of a cardiac emergency, which you can only acquire in a certified training center.

ACLS Training Classes- An Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) class is designed for those who work in emergency response, intensive care units, the emergency department, anesthesia units, telemetry departments, cardiac catheterization labs, outpatient surgery centers, advanced dentistry, respiratory therapy departments, some pharmacy departments, and many more. Most employers of these departments require employees to be ACLS certified.

In this first time ACLS American Heart Association course, students will utilize their assessment skills, cardiac rhythm interpretation skills, and knowledge of the ACLS treatment algorithms to manage cardiac arrest, cardiovascular emergencies, and respiratory arrest. The course is led by experienced AHA ACLS instructors who are focused on student success. They work hard to ensure a stress–free classroom environment. Our philosophy is that optimal learning occurs when students are relaxed. Become ACLS certified in 1 Day!

The program fee is $297.

Like we have already mentioned that keeping heart disease at bay can help you in avoiding from being involved in a cardiac emergency. The most effective way to prevent heart disease is by managing high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Here are a few heart-healthy tips that can help you in efficiently managing blood pressure:

Aim- You should aim to eat a diet that’s rich in fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, low-fat diary products, nuts and legumes, non-tropical vegetable oils.

Limit- Limit your sodium intake, saturated and trans fats, sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages. Limit your consumption of red meat.

Read the Labels- Choose foods wisely which you can do by adopting the habit of reading food labels. You should watch out for foods that have saturated fat or trans fat- factors that raises cholesterol. Do not eat foods that are high in sodium as it can increase your blood pressure. If you do not know how to read nutrition labels, you can consult a nutritionist regarding that.

It is best that you go for the DASH eating plan:

As its name implies, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan is designed to help you manage blood pressure. Emphasizing healthy food sources, it also limits:

        I.            Red meat

      II.            Sodium (salt)

    III.            Sweets, added sugars and sugar-containing beverages

Manage your blood pressure and cholesterol which can help you in living a longer and healthy life.

Sign up for an ACLS certification Louisville program or any other course of your choice at CPR Louisville and gain the benefits. For more information, call on 502-804-6132.