The next time you travel by plane be sure to look for the American Heart Association CPR training kiosks which are now in several airports throughout the country. The training kiosks are currently available at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport O’Hare International Airport in Chicago; Indianapolis International Airport; Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; and Baltimore-Washington and training kiosks will open at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on August 1, and at the Orlando International Airport on August 9.
​The training kiosks instruct users to call 911 if they see someone collapse and then push quickly on the center of the person's chest until assistance arrives. The kiosks also allow users to practice CPR on a rubber manikin and participant in a 30 second test. It then gives the user feedback on proper hand placement and the correct depth and rate of chest compression. The entire quick training takes approximately 5 minutes.
So, the next time your in the airport and see an AHA training kiosk, take a moment to brush up on your skills and even show your business colleague or friend or family member the very basics of effective CPR.

With summer here and frequent family gatherings and barbeques often at the forefront; what would you do if someone started choking? The American Heart Association and various healthcare establishment are advocating for the use of lifesaving techniques that are easier and more convenient to learn. Choking kills about 5,000 Americans annually, while about 450,000 Americans die of cardiac arrest,mostly at home, work or in public rather than at a hospital. However, it is the assistance provided by the bystander which can make the difference between life and death.
For a person who is conscious but choking, the simplest and most effective action is still the Heimlich maneuver, a series of abdominal thrusts invented by thoracic surgeon Henry Heimlich.
Though the method is slightly different for the infant and the child; for the adult, here is what you do:
• Coming from behind, wrap your arms around the person’s waist.
• Make a fist and place the thumb side in the middle of the victim’s abdomen, just above the navel.
• Grasp your fist with your other hand, press hard into the abdomen and give a quick upward thrust into the upper abdomen, as if you were trying to lift the person. Repeat until object is expelled.
On the contrary, it is important to remember that for a person who starts choking and then loses consciousness; CPR must be started must be started immediately with the use of 30 compressions.
Enjoy the rest of your summer but always remember preparedness and knowledge of lifesaving techniques is critical in every situation.