BLS training

BLS training is Basic Life Support training, though I personally like the name Basic Life Sav,ing training better. Essentially, we learned what to do if a person's heart isn't beating or if they're not breathing, or both. While it may not be obvious at first glance, there are actually a few amusing points in here.

If someone conscious and choking, you're obligated to ask them first before you help them. Let's see how this would go:

"Hi, are you choking?"

Person can't reply because they're choking, but they're making the Universal I'm Choking Sign. (This is a very important sign to remember.)

"I'm a medical student with BLS certification. Can I help you?"

Person shakes head.

"Are you really, really sure? I mean, you could choke to death if someone doesn't help you."

Person shakes head.

At this point, you'd actually be obligated to wait until the person passes out before helping them, but after they pass out, you can do whatever you need to do.

The second amusing point is the first step of the algorithm they give you to determine whether you should do full CPR or just rescue breathing. The first step is to check to see if they're actually conscious and not just napping. Can you imagine the number of overzealous BLS trained people who started giving CPR to old people napping in the park in order for them to make this into an official first step?

Humor aside, the test for certification was pretty easy. There was a written portion, a multiple choice exam which took about ten minutes. Each question had at least one choice which sounded ridiculous and was obviously wrong. The practical was on practice dummies. Proctors would give you various scenarios and ask you what to do and to demonstrate on the dummy.

Easy as this certification was, I do feel a little more competent and accomplished. At least if anything this bad happens, I'll know, in theory, what to do which gives me a mild sense of security. I imagine that in practice, it's probably difficult first to get past the disbelief and freaking out, and second to guage whether you're pushing hard enough or breathing properly.