From the very beginning, our organisation has not provided ventilations (Rescue Breaths) directly on manikins during CPR training.
It is clear the reason behind this. In one word: hygiene.
Transmitted diseases like, H1N1, hepatitis, bloodborne bacterial and viral diseases, or the new disease mankind is worried about during this week, the Coronavirus that started from Wuhan China, are all possible threats to every individual, even those undertaking First Aid training.
We strongly believe in safeguarding our students during training. We also explain why we do so.
So are ventilations not essential for a real case CPR ?
Actually, quite the opposite. Ventilations are a must and should be administered as soon as possible. The European Guidelines even encourages CPR providers to give mouth to mouth ventilation in case of an emergency, by following the procedure appropriate for each situation.
It is always encouraged to have a CPR mask or ventilation shield during CPR. But in case a provider does not have access to such barriers, mouth to mouth is encouraged. This is based on the fact that it is highly unlikely for transmitted diseases to be passed on to the rescuer or the victim vice-versa.
How can someone provide ventilation without adequate training
Although we do not practice mouth to mouth ventilations directly on a manikin, it doesn’t mean we do not practice them all together.
On the contrary, with the use of sterilized mouthpieces on a CPR mask, used only for training purposes, or the use of a training ventilation shield, our students have the option to practice ventilations on a manikin. This has proven to provide adequate protection during training.
But can’t you just clean the mouth of the manikin and provide ventilations?
The problem is not just the bacteria gathered on the direct surface, but more importantly the bacteria which enter the lungs of the manikins that could return air during training practice.
With the use of our training barriers, our students have a double layer of protection that as an organization we always target.
Safety should always come first, especially when we are being trained to help others.
