It is always a good idea to be prepared in case of a medical emergency. Having a good understanding of how to perform CPR and BLS can be invaluable knowledge when it comes to saving a life.
Many of us are familiar with the basic concepts of CPR but may not be as familiar with BLS. This article will explore both procedures so that you are familiar with the difference between BLS and CPR and better understand what each entails.
What is Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)?
CPR, or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, is performed on people whose hearts have stopped beating. It is an excellent way to keep a person alive while waiting for medical emergency teams to arrive.
To perform CPR, one must compress the chest while blowing air into the mouth to keep the heart beating and to keep blood flowing through the body. This increases the person’s chance of survival and minimizes the risk of brain damage that can be a result of a loss of oxygen.
CPR is used in events when a person stops breathing. It effectively deals with cardiac or respiratory emergencies like drowning or drug overdose. It can also be used to open airways in choking victims when the Heimlich maneuver is not helping.
CPR can be administered to infants, children, and adults. However, for children and infants, a different protocol is involved. This is because children are less likely to need CPR for cardiac incidents and more likely to need it for respiratory failure or poisoning. Also, because children’s bodies are more fragile, chest compressions should be performed using the fingers rather than the palm of the hand.
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What is Basic Life Support (BLS)?
If you are wondering what is BLS Certification, BLS or Basic Life Support, is a more advanced lifesaving procedure. It is administered by public safety professionals, first responders, healthcare providers, paramedics, and qualified bystanders. It is given to someone with a life-threatening illness or injury and can improve their chances of survival until they get to a hospital. It is typically used on someone in cardiac arrest or respiratory distress.
BLS involves three main components. These include an initial assessment, airway maintenance, breathing, and CPR.
Difference Between CPR and BLS Certification
To perform CPR or BLS safely and efficiently, it is important to take classes to get a certification. Therefore, a CPR certification will be an excellent first step to getting your Basic Life Support certification. A BLS certification includes CPR training, but it is more difficult and intensive.
Like CPR, BLS certifications involve learning how to maintain an open airway and ensure blood and oxygen circulation through the body. However, there are more in-depth practices involved. Here you will also learn how to administer oxygen, the team approach to CPR, and advanced airway management techniques.
CPR is a great thing to learn if you work with children or are a football coach or lifeguard. However, if you are looking for a career in the medical industry, basic life support certification is advised and may even be necessary.
CPR and BLS are both valuable skills to learn. However, not many of us have time to attend classes. Online CPR certification and online BLS certification are great alternatives for those who lead busy lifestyles.
Online CPR certification will allow you to learn life saving techniques at your own pace and at the location of your choice. Because the material is online, it can be reviewed as needed. It is a great way to learn these valuable skills while working around your hectic schedule.
You can find the coupon code for CPR Select on our coupon page, which is regularly updated for the best value. Our course is more advantageous than other online certification providers, such as CPR Heart Center, National CPR Foundation, and American AED CPR Association.
Take a Free Basic Life Support Practice Tests and prepare yourself for the official certification exam.
BLS vs. CPR Re-certification
It is essential to keep your knowledge of CPR and BLS fresh in your mind, especially if you are not a healthcare professional where you need to practice these skills every day. That is why the American Red Cross requires a re-certification course to be taken regularly.
CPR certificates are valid for one year before a re-certification is needed, and BLS certificates are valid for two years. Both CPR and First Aid re-certification and BLS online renewal course is available online. In fact, most e-learning courses will send out reminders to let you know when renewal is due as an added convenience.
Conclusion
To summarize the difference between BLS and CPR, BLS involves a more extensive training curriculum that includes CPR and goes beyond it. While CPR is recommended for those whose lifesaving skills could come in handy in their profession, BLS is more suited and often required for those who work in the healthcare field specifically.
In any case, these are both valuable life saving skills to learn and something everyone can benefit from knowing in case of an emergency situation. So we encourage you to find out more about these procedures, and who knows, maybe you could end up saving someone’s life one day. You can access our free BLS cheat sheet if you need materials to review.
