Author Archives: Stephen Huffman

Alcohol Poisoning During the Holidays

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Drinking alcohol to excess is the cause of about 88,000 deaths per year in the United States alone. Abusing alcohol can lead to violence, car accidents, and alcohol poisoning; all of which are potentially fatal consequences that will surely put a damper on what should be considered one of the happiest times of the year spent with loved ones.

In the United States, binge drinking has become a huge problem as millions of Americans admit to drinking too much in a short period of time. Binge drinking may be defined as four or more drinks on a single occasion for women and five for men. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 1 in 3 adults is an excessive drinker who mostly binge drinks.

While the holiday season is a time to celebrate and be joyful, it usually also brings about a decent amount of alcohol and higher tendencies for alcohol abuse. During the holiday season, alcohol is frequently more free flowing and visible for all. Because of this, there are higher chances at this time of year for binge drinking and its consequences, such as alcohol poisoning.

What Affects Your Tolerance for Alcohol

Age, gender, drinking experience, ethnicity, and the amount of food in your stomach can all affect how much alcohol is too much. An overdose of alcohol occurs at the point when an individual has a blood alcohol content level which is high, or sufficient enough, to cause impairments that may lead to harm. The severity of these overdoses vary. While one person may lack balance and slur their speech, another person may be struck with alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning, a deadly type of alcohol overdose, occurs when an individual continues to drink despite obvious and significant impairment. When this happens, the brain essentially shuts down basic life-support functions like heart rate, breathing, and temperature control.

Children

Shockingly and sadly, this does not only affect adults but also small children. Children are far more at risk for alcohol poisoning, when compared to adults, because of their weight. The Drug and Poison Information Center in Cincinnati claimed that during the holidays they see an increased number of calls stemming from alcohol poisoning in children. This is because adults tend to leave unfinished alcoholic drinks lying around the house within reach of small children, especially if their judgment is impaired by said alcohol.

The key to preventing fatal consequences caused by alcohol abuse is knowledge. Drinking responsibly and knowing the signs of alcohol poisoning can prevent deaths and provide a jollier holiday season for all.

Signs and Symptoms

According to Mayo Clinic, there are a variety of signs pointing toward alcohol poisoning, but it is not necessary for the victim to show all of them before seeking help. It is important to note that someone who is unconscious and cannot be awakened is at serious risk of death. The signs include:

  • Seizures
  • Vomiting
  • Irregular or slow breathing
  • Mental confusion
  • Unconsciousness and is unable to be awakened
  • Low body temperature (hypothermia)
  • Pale or blue skin

What You Should Do

If you suspect that an individual has alcohol poisoning after identifying some, or all, of the signs, you should be extremely aware that death is a possibility and call 911 immediately. It is extremely dangerous to assume that someone will be able to sleep off alcohol poisoning. The blood alcohol content of an individual can continue to rise in the body even while a person is unconscious. The alcohol continues to circulate through the bloodstream, awake or not. It is also a complete myth that coffee, walking, or taking a shower will reverse the effects of alcohol; these activities could make things worse.

What if You Don’t Do Anything?

There are many negative consequences a person could face after excessive drinking to the point of alcohol poisoning, especially if they are not medically treated. Things that can happen to a person if they are not treated in a timely and efficient manner include:

  • Severe dehydration caused by excessive vomiting
  • Dehydration which leads to seizures that may cause permanent brain damage or death
  • Choking on his or her own vomit
  • Breathing that becomes slow and eventually stops
  • Heart that beats irregularly and eventually stops
  • Hypothermia and Hypoglycemia, which leads to harmful seizures

Be Responsible

Although that extra cup of alcoholic eggnog might be tempting around the holiday season, be sure to drink responsibly no matter the time of year and of course continue to read our blog for more essential information. Knowledge of alcohol abuse and alcohol poisoning can help to keep you, your family, and your friends safe if anyone chooses to drink.

3 Potentially Lifesaving Skills You Didn’t Know You Could Learn Online

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These days, it’s hard to think of anything that you can’t do online, thanks to the wonders of modern technology. You can make friends or meet the love of your life. You can find employment. You can even start your own business. Best of all, you’re always just a few keystrokes away from learning just about anything you’d like.

Online distance learning has been a thing for years now. However, you might be surprised to know that you can even receive formal training in regards to practical skills that could be potentially lifesaving. Let’s take a look at just a few of the most important.

1.     Adult, Child, and Infant CPR

Short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR is a lifesaving skill that most of us are at least marginally familiar with. It’s also the type of skill a lot of us mean to formally learn someday, but never quite get around to. A lot of us assume that we’re pretty unlikely to actually need it ourselves when, instead, nothing could be further from the truth.

In the United States, alone, more than 360,000 people experience cardiac arrest every year and could benefit from receiving CPR. More than 80% of those that experience cardiac arrest collapse at home.  That means that family members, friends, and other bystanders – not doctors, nurses, and medical personnel – are going to be the first people in a position to administer immediate CPR. Even so, more than 70% of people say they’d be uncomfortable performing it, either because of a lack of training or because of training that’s out of date.

Thankfully, you don’t need to be able to attend a traditional class at a brick and mortar facility in order to learn CPR anymore. You can undergo formal training that adheres to the highest medical standards, and even receive your official certification by taking an affordable, simple, convenient course online instead. You can learn specific techniques designed especially for use on children and infants, as well.

2.     Basic First Aid

You can also take professional level first aid courses online so that you’re as prepared as possible to respond quickly when it comes to emergencies. Formal first aid training isn’t just for doctors and nurses, either. Every parent and childcare professional should consider learning how to respond to emergency situations they’re likely to encounter. Personal trainers, coaches, industrial workers, and a variety of other professionals could also benefit greatly.

To get the absolute most out of your online first aid training, consider taking a combination course that teaches you both first aid response and CPR procedures. Learn how to handle burns, potential poisoning cases, general illnesses, stroke, diabetic situations, and more. If you’re someone who needs to know how to respond to emergencies involving children or infants, make sure you sign up for a course that specifically addresses the differences between handling children and adults as part of the curriculum.

3.     Infection Control

Emergency situations that expose responders and well-meaning bystanders to blood and other bodily fluids are common. Do you know how to respond to emergencies that involve exposed blood? Do you know the basics of how to prevent exposure to blood-borne pathogens and to control the spread of infection in general? If not, you can learn how online, thanks to real medical courses offered by fully accredited organizations.

You’ll learn everything you need to know about protecting yourself and others from infectious diseases like hepatitis B, HIV, and AIDS. Topics covered include but are not limited to proper hygiene practices, bio-hazard clean-up procedures, universal precautions to take, and more. This type of course is especially beneficial for professionals that are commonly exposed to potential biohazards, including housekeepers, janitors, dental workers, healthcare professionals, industrial workers, plumbers, and home care providers.

The Benefits of Learning First Response Skills

The decision to go from simply thinking about CPR or first aid training to actually getting it is commendable for many reasons. Such training means you’re better equipped to be the best possible parent, spouse, caregiver, friend, or citizen you can be, because you know what to do in case of emergency. You also gain an instant advantage professionally, as well, even if you don’t happen to work in healthcare or medicine.

Make sure you take your online CPR courses or first aid courses with an accredited establishment with a spotless reputation like SimpleCPR. SimpleCPR is one of the most trusted providers of formal first response training in the entire world. Complete your training and earn your official certification online today!

4 Reasons Why Everyone Should Seek Out Formal CPR Training

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CPR is definitely one of those things: You absolutely know how important it is. You may personally know someone that has been helped by CPR. You may even have a pretty good idea how CPR is performed, thanks to television shows like ER or Grey’s Anatomy. However, if you’re like most people, you’ve never actually received formal CPR training.

You might believe it’s not really necessary or think it’s pretty unlikely that you’d find yourself in a situation where you really need to know it. In reality, formal CPR training is something everyone would greatly benefit from getting and from encouraging other people to get, too. Let’s take a closer look at just a few of the major reasons why.

1.     You Might Save Someone You Love

When we picture someone suddenly collapsing and needing CPR, we tend to picture it happening to a stranger out in public somewhere. However, while this certainly does happen, it’s important to realize that, statistically speaking, most cardiac arrests occur in the home – around 85%, to be more specific.

This means that if you do ever find yourself in a situation that finds someone in need of CPR, it’s much more likely to be a loved one or a friend than a total stranger. That said, you shouldn’t just think of CPR training as something that might allow you to save the life of a stranger someday. Think of it as something that will allow you to be a better, more protective parent, spouse, family member, or friend. Who wouldn’t love the feeling of confidence that comes along with knowing you could save a loved one’s life if it came right down to it?

2.     You’ll Be Learning How to Perform CPR Properly

As touched on above, most of us have a pretty good idea of how to perform CPR even just from watching other our favorite characters do it on TV. Also, giving CPR your best shot even if you’ve never been trained is considered much better than doing nothing. It’s a much better idea to seek out formal training instead of just assuming you’d know what to do if you ever had to administer CPR.

Training increases your chances of performing the procedure properly, which in turn increases the recipient’s chances of survival. You’re also much less likely to freeze up and fail to act in the first place. Up to 70% of bystanders that fail to even attempt CPR said it was because they were afraid they might hurt the person or wind up in legal trouble because of their lack of training.

3.     You’ll Instantly Become More Employable

When we think of people that would gain a professional advantage from being able to list CPR certification on their resume, we tend to think of people that are required to know CPR – doctors, nurses, EMTs, and other medical personnel. In reality, almost everyone becomes more employable when they learn CPR.

If you’re a childcare provider, a teacher, or a personal trainer, a CPR certification is an especially big plus. However, literally anyone that works around people in any capacity is automatically a more valuable employee because of CPR training. Certification shows that not only do you consider it important to know how to save lives, but you take what you do seriously enough to formalize your training, knowledge, and abilities.

  1. 4.     Receiving Training Is Easy, Convenient, and Affordable

If you’ve hesitated to get formal CPR training in the past because you think it’s expensive or requires a huge time commitment, then you should know that nothing is further from the truth. Even advanced CPR courses or blended learning options that cover additional skills are affordable enough to fit into even modest budgets. The courses themselves aren’t time consuming at all, either. In fact, the average course will only take about 60 minutes of your time.

What’s more, you don’t even have to sign up for an in-person course at a brick and mortar establishment these days. You can receive your official CPR training and certification online when you take your course with an accredited organization like SimpleCPR.

SimpleCPR certifications adhere closely to the strict guidelines and requirements employers expect – the very same guidelines followed by the Red Cross, the American Heart Association, and more. Plus, you have your pick of a variety of different courses to choose from. Stick to basic training, learn how to perform CPR on children, receive professional level first aid training, and much more.