American Red Cross and American Heart Association CPR Certifications: Which One Should You Get?

I’m a certified instructor for the American Red Cross (ARC) and the American Heart Association (AHA). It’s simplistic to say that either the ARC or the AHA has the “better” CPR classes.  In fact, starting in 2011 many of the big differences between the organization’s courses disappeared when the ARC shortened their courses.  Still, there are differences in price and employer acceptance; hence, depending of what your objective is, one organization’s CPR class may be a better fit for you than the other’s. What follows is a brief summary of the similarities and differences between ARC and AHA CPR classes so you can make an informed decision before enrolling.

Certification Length

For a standard CPR certification, sometimes referred to as CPR for the layperson, the obvious choice used to be the AHA. Their certifications are good for two years, while the ARC always had a one-year certification. That changed on January 1, 2011 when the ARC began giving two-year CPR certifications as well.

Healthcare providers are required to take a more advanced CPR course. Both the AHA’s “Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers” (often just called “BLS”) and the ARC’s “CPR for the Professional Rescuer” are good for two years.

Class Length

In 2011, the ARC updated their courses and made some big changes.  In the past, the ARC’s courses were significantly longer than the corresponding AHA courses, and this drove many people to the AHA courses.  Now the ARC and AHA courses are about the same length.

Price

In general, AHA courses are slightly less expensive than the ARC’s. However, AHA prices can vary significantly since private companies primarily teach them.

Students are required to buy an AHA course manual ahead of time – and they cost between $10 to $15. Some companies teaching AHA courses include the manual in their course price and some don’t. Find out if the manual is included. If the AHA course manual isn’t included, it can make a big difference on the bottom line.

The ARC includes an excellent skills reference guide with the class price.  The ARC course manual is not included in the course price, but I recommend buying it (about $10) if you want to read in depth about the skills you’ve learned.

Certification Acceptance

If you need a CPR certification, ask whomever is requiring it if they prefer an AHA or ARC certification. Many employers and agencies accept one, but not both.

For healthcare providers, the AHA BLS class is frequently the desired certification by employers. In the San Francisco Bay Area, all of the dental societies I’ve been in contact with only accept AHA’s BLS class. And that appears to be the case with several hospitals as well. But again, ask whoever is requiring the healthcare provider certification which organization they prefer.

Article Author:

Chris Schlesinger’s company In Home CPR teaches on-site safety classes at homes and businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, serving Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Solano counties.  He offers certifications through the American Heart Association and American Red Cross in CPR, BLS, AED, standard first aid and pediatric first aid.  Visit his websites at CPR Certification San Francisco or CPR Class San Mateo.

CPR Certification Classes: Choosing The Right One

Summary: The four questions to ask yourself to ensure that you sign up for the right CPR certification class.  Includes a complete list of American Heart Association and American Red Cross CPR classes.

You’ve learned you need a CPR certification.  However, you aren’t sure which one you need.  And you don’t know if a certification from the American Heart Association, American Red Cross or another organization is the right choice.  If you are frustrated, that is understandable -- choosing the right CPR certification class can be very confusing! 

Here are the four questions to ask yourself to ensure that you sign up for the right CPR certification class:

1) Which CPR certification do I need: standard or healthcare provider?

2) Do I need an AED certification as well?

3) Does my CPR certification need to focus on infants and children?

4) Should I choose the American Heart Association or American Red Cross?

Which CPR Certification Do I Need?

Most people need a standard CPR certification, often called CPR for the layperson.  Professions that usually fall into this category are:

Teacher

Coach

Camp counselor

School bus driver

Personal trainer

Daycare worker

Babysitter

Nursing home employee

Construction worker

Healthcare providers are required to take a more advanced CPR class.  Professions that usually need a healthcare provider CPR certification are:

Nurse

Nursing assistant

Medical assistant

Respiratory therapist

Dentist

Dental assistant

Paramedic

EMT

Police officer

Firefighter

Physical therapist

Occupational therapist

Do I Need An AED Certification As Well?

Check to see if you also need to be certified to use an AED.  AED stands for Automated External Defibrillator – a mobile defibrillator designed for the public to use.  Most CPR classes include material on how to use an AED, but not all of them.

Do I Need An Infant And Child CPR Certification?

Some people need their CPR certification to focus on infants and children, such as foster parents or daycare workers.  The American Red Cross can be very helpful for addressing this because they break their CPR classes into infant, child and adult components. 

Should I Choose The American Heart Association Or American Red Cross?

There are many organizations that will certify you in CPR, but usually the two preferred organizations are the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Red Cross (ARC).  Some employers or regulatory organizations will also accept a certification from the American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI).  If you are required to get a CPR certification, ask whomever requires it if they prefer a certification from the AHA or ARC.  Some accept one, but not the other.

If you have searched for a CPR class on the Internet, you’ve probably seen ads for on-line based CPR classes costing $19.95.  Stay away from these!  Most employers are not going to accept an on-line only course.  And they shouldn’t.  You need to practice the skills used to save a life, rather than only reading about the skills.

American Heart Association

This is the current list of CPR classes for the American Heart Association:

Heartsaver AED – Includes adult, child and infant CPR and AED.

Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers – The CPR course for healthcare professionals.  Because the class has a long name, you will see variations in how it’s listed, such as “BLS” or “CPR for Healthcare Providers.”

American Red Cross

American Red Cross breaks their CPR classes into components of infant, child, adult, and AED, which can be helpful and confusing.  For example, they frequently offer infant and child CPR as a single class.  Adult CPR is often taught as its own class.  Classes with infant, child and adult CPR taught together are also offered. 

The ARC healthcare provider course is called, “CPR For The Professional Rescuer.”  Some healthcare employers do not accept this course to satisfy their requirements.  Of course, check with your employer first.

Before you sign up for an ARC CPR class be sure you know exactly what components the class is covering.

Signing Up For A Class

The AHA and ARC have upcoming classes listed on their websites.  If you can’t find a class at the time and location you want, try a privately owned training company that can certify you with the AHA and ARC.  Another option is to hire a private company to teach an on-site AHA or ARC CPR class.  These classes offer flexibility in scheduling and can often be less expensive for large groups.

Article Author:

Chris Schlesinger’s company In Home CPR teaches on-site safety classes at homes and businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, serving Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Solano counties.  He offers certifications through the American Heart Association and American Red Cross in CPR, BLS, AED, standard first aid and pediatric first aid.  Visit his websites at CPR Certification San Francisco or CPR Class San Mateo.

Choking Emergency: The Heimlich Maneuver or Back Blows

Summary: A brief history of the recommended responses from the American Heart Association and American Red Cross for conscious choking in children and adults.  The debate over the use of back blows or the Heimlich Maneuver is discussed.

If you take a CPR course from the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association you will find the content to be nearly identical.  However, the two organizations have noticeably different recommendations on how to respond to a child or adult who is conscious and choking.  What follows is a brief history of the recommended responses to conscious choking – a history that has been filled with controversy for nearly the last 40 years.

When first aid courses began being taught to the public, the conventional response to a choking victim was to give them a “back blow” or “back slap”.  As early as 1933 the American Red Cross was recommending this method.  You can see an example of traditional back slaps in the film, “Field of Dreams” when Burt Lancaster’s character, a doctor from the 1920s, saves a choking child.

In 1974 everything changed.  Dr. Henry Heimlich, who developed the Heimlich maneuver, often called abdominal thrusts in safety classes, published an article about the maneuver.  By 1976 both the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross had incorporated abdominal thrusts.  Responders were told to give back blows, but if they failed to dislodge the object, give abdominal thrusts. 

Heimlich wrote in the New York Times that back blows would cause an object to get lodged into the windpipe.  This has never been proven scientifically.  He also began calling them, “death blows.” 

In 1986, both organizations stopped recommending back blows.  Abdominal thrusts became the only recommended response for conscious choking for children and adults.

Controversy and criticism of Dr. Heimlich began to emerge, much of it via his son Peter.  Peter Heimlich has a website devoted to exposing his father as “a spectacular con man and serial liar.”   Dr. Heimlich is accused of secretly funding a study in 1982 that persuaded the American Heart Association to drop back blows from its recommended responses to choking. 

Nevertheless, abdominal thrusts remained the only recommended response to conscious choking for children and adults for twenty years.

In 2006, the American Red Cross reintroduced back blows as the initial response to choking.  The approach is called, “five and five.”  If five back blows are unsuccessful in clearing the airway, then five abdominal thrusts are used.  The rescuer alternates between sets of back blows and abdominal thrusts until the object is cleared.   However, the American Heart Association has not reintroduced back blows.  They continue to recommend abdominal thrusts as the only response to conscious choking for children and adults.

Article Author:

Chris Schlesinger’s company In Home CPR teaches on-site safety classes at homes and businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, serving Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Solano counties.  He offers certifications through the American Heart Association and American Red Cross in CPR, BLS, AED, standard first aid and pediatric first aid.  Visit his websites at CPR Certification San Francisco or CPR Class San Mateo. 

Signs and symptoms of the flu

This article is a simple overview of the influenza viruses often called the flu.  I’ve also included links to articles that go into greater depth about flu related topics.
First, what is the flu?  It’s a severe respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses.  It’s important to note that the flu is caused by a virus.  A common misperception is that flu can be treated with antibiotics.  There is no need to go to ER with mild flu symptoms -- there is nothing that can be offered to you.  In most of the cases, flu does not require anti-viral drugs or any special treatment beyond rest at home.
However, certain people are at greater risk of serious flu-related complications, including young children, elderly persons, pregnant women and people with certain long-term medical conditions.  For a full list of people at higher risk of flu-related complications, see People at High Risk of Developing Flu–Related Complications.  If you are in a high-risk group and develop flu symptoms, contact your doctor.
The symptoms of the flu:

·      Runny nose

·      Cough

·      Sore throat

·      Muscle and body aches

·      Fatigue, feeling of weakness

·      Headaches

·      Fever can occur, but not all people with the flu have a fever

·      Vomiting, but this is more common in infant and children than adults

The flu season starts in the late Fall and peaks in January and February.
Your best prevention is a getting a yearly flu vaccine.  Flu vaccines, like all vaccines, are not 100% effective and the level of protection varies from year to year depending on the flu strains of that year.  At six months old, infants should begin getting seasonal flu vaccinations.  Here is a very helpful map to locate where to find vaccines for the flu and many other illnesses.  http://flushot.healthmap.org.
There are two types of flu vaccines on the market: injection and FluMist. Both protect against four strains of flu.  Many people prefer FluMist because they do not like needles.  However, not everyone can use Flu Mist and it is important to ask your doctor if the FluMist is for you.  Counter indications include a history of wheezing, allergies, and children currently using medicines with aspirin in them.  https://www.flumistquadrivalent.com/consumer/index.html.
Frequent hand washing is an important part of a flu prevention strategy.  It is important to wash your hands with soap and lots of friction for at least 20 seconds.  Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are very effective as well.  To prevent the spread of the disease, do not come to work or school if you are ill.  You can transmit the flu before you have symptoms.  If you suspect that you are coming down with the flu and you have to be in contact with others, use a mask.
The flu is potentially deadly, especially for people in high-risk groups.  Here are some of the warning signs that a person suffering from the flu is having a medical emergency and needs to be seen by a medical professional.

In infants and children:

• Fast breathing or labored breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Difficulty waking up or not interacting.  Sluggish.
• Very irritable and the child does not want to be held
• Not drinking enough
• Significantly fewer wet diapers than normal
• Flu-like symptoms improve, but return with fever and a worse cough
• Fever accompanied by a rash

In adults:

• Difficulty breathing.  Shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Confusion
• Sudden dizziness
• Severe or persistent vomiting

In addition to the signs above, call 911 right away for any infant who has any of these signs:

• Cannot eat
• Difficulty breathing
• No tears when crying

In summary, the three actions steps to prevent flu are:

1)    Get a flu vaccination every year

2)    Wash your hands frequently during flu season

3)    Stay away from people who are sick with the flu

Article Author:

Chris Schlesinger’s company In Home CPR teaches on-site safety classes at homes and businesses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, serving Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Solano counties.  He offers certifications through the American Heart Association and American Red Cross in CPR, BLS, AED, standard first aid and pediatric first aid.  Visit his websites at CPR Certification San Francisco or CPR Class San Mateo.