Boost your CPR knowledge during awareness week

When Amanda Rardon’s sister was 32 years old, she went into cardiac arrest in Rardon’s home.

Luckily for everyone involved, Rardon knew exactly what to do. As director of emergency services at IU Health Arnett Hospital and a registered nurse, Rardon gets CPR certified every three months.

“It becomes muscle memory,” she said.

National CPR and AED awareness week began Saturday. According to the American Heart Association, only about 40% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims receive adequate help before emergency services arrive and the association encourages one person from every household to learn CPR.

“Because you never know,” Rardon said. “You never know when something’s going to happen. It could be anybody at any time and anywhere. You can be in the store, you could be at home, church, you could be at a club. If you have one (person) in every household who knows, odds are, someone is going to know what to do.”

Anyone who knows to use both hands to compress the middle of the chest by two inches to the tune of the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” could likely perform successful CPR. But Rardon said taking classes exposes you to the latest methods in CPR and puts you in touch with valuable information.

“When a layperson gets certified, they will have all kinds of resources,” she said. “They’ll get website information for the American Heart Association, a book, and digital resources they can always refer back to.”

Practice on a mannequin can also ensure a smooth delivery of CPR, Rardon said. Immediate, consistent compressions at a rate of at least 100 beats per minute (Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” works as a song reference, too), combined with a defibrillator, can increase the chances of cardiac arrest survival several-fold.

“There are so many defibrillators out in public now,” Rardon said. “They’re at malls, sports stadiums and schools. There are a lot of grants out there that places can apply for and get them. I was at the airport about a year ago, and they had a CPR training station in the airport. So, if you’re waiting on your flight, you can practice your chest compressions and learn CPR while you’re in the airport.”

Where to get certified in Greater Lafayette

According to rdcross.org, a class with an in-person and online portion is available June 15 and 29, both on Saturday mornings, at 200 Progress Drive, Lafayette. It is designed for students who need an Occupational Safety and Health Administration approved certification that satisfies workplace or other regulatory requirements. The course costs $89. Upon course completion, a valid 2-year digital certificate for Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED is issued.

CPR classes

For those who don’t need a certification, Purdue offers a free course to those with a Purdue ID at Dement Fire Station at 1250 Third St., West Lafayette. The next class is Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon.