Year 9 Restart a Heart Day
The whole of year 9 recently benefited from the 'restart a heart' workshop: a whole day's first aid training of how to identify the signs of a heart attack and apply the basics of CPR.
This article was written by Ashvin in 9H.
We all were very enthusiastic about the event as for many of us we would be learning something new. To begin with, we went over the science of CPR. We were told how important the heart was to the general function of our bodies. Without our heart pumping blood around our body as it does usually, we would not survive.
We were then taught how to perform CPR and what to do if someone was not responding. At first, some of us found it difficult to keep up with the pace but we all got used to it. There are many steps involved in assisting someone and there are some common mistakes people make. Some people may think that someone is unconscious just because they do not answer their name. After you have called them, you should tap their shoulders to see if they respond. Afterwards, you must check their breathing. Often, people call ambulances too early and they do not have sufficient information for them. You must have some idea of the location and the condition of the person you are calling about.
The rate is 120 beats per minute for chest compressions and it is recommended that you swap with someone else preferably another adult every minute as this becomes exhausting after a while.
These essential life skills are very important to have as we never know when we will use them. I would like to thank everyone involved in making this event happen as this could prove extremely helpful in the future.