I agree with everyone else. As stated before compression only CPR is adequate enough until First Responders or ALS arrive on scene, Your best bet is to do GOOD QUALITY COMPRESSIONS UNTIL AN AED becomes readily available and the pads are attached to analyze the rhythm and SHOCK the pt. if shock is advised.

I was an American Heart Association BCLS CPR / First Aid Instructor for 35 years retiring in 2015.All of your CPR Masks or Face Shields have a ONE-WAY VALVE to prevent vomit from entering your mouth provided the ONE-WAY Shield is properly place on the pt. This is a Federal NIOSH Regulation & OSHA Requirement. The Face Mask has a REPLACEABLE ONE-VALVE that costs in BULK @ $3-5$.

P.S. PLEASE BE ADVISED THE ONE-WAY VALVE IS DISPOSABLE & FOR INDIVIDUAL USE ON 1 PATIENT. THE MASK IS CLEANSABLE IN A 1/4 TO A GALLON BLEACH MIXTURE TO CLEAN IT & DISINFECT THE MASK FOR FURTHER USE. ALSO THE MASK SHOULD BE AIR DRIED TO PREVENT BACTERIA FROM BUILDING UP FROM MOISTURE AROUND THE RIM OF THE RUBBER SEAL.

We have one mask in our med closet with a one way valve. If I have to do CPR, I will grab it first and then I have no issue at all with doing CPR.

Revised CPR techniques simply require mainly chest compressions, most of us should be carrying face shields to begin with or have them accessable to us as most states require mandatory cpr/1st aid compliance.

Well I am not sure if it is good or bad but if there is not a spit shield I do not know their medical history and I am to treat every inmate and their bodily fluids as if they are infected with AIDS, Hep, or any of the other communicable diseases. I have no duty to put my life at risk.

All states require cpr as part of training for Officers. I went to a national training conference where this subject was discussed. As “wards of the state” if you have been following another thread. the officers have a duty to perform cpr when appropriate and within the scope of their employment. We have had several saves here in our jail then transported to local hospitals only to pass there. Does that count as a save but hospital loss? Both sentenced violent criminals, is that a win?

Even though I may be a rook in the Correctional Field, I’ve been a Medic in the Army for awhile. Even when I was downrange in Iraq we did CPR on Iraqi’s. There is a difference however, I will go no gloves/straight mouth to save the life of a man/woman wearing the same uniform as I do. As for Iraqi’s (or prisoners in this case), that is why we have gloves and barrier devices.

Besides, the rescue breaths really are not that important, rather the compression’s are. If you can get a BVM (Bag-Valve-Mask) and AED while another guy does straight compression’s you will do more good than you would if you stop compression’s every 30 seconds.

But I suppose it comes down to your local policy.

I agree Jamestown. We too have AED’s and are instructed how to use them along with CPR and basic first aid every two years. It seems most states are similar in their practices and policies.

As a CPR instructor the American Heart Association has changed the standards for immediate CPR in accordance with the 2010 national CPR standards. Previously we did rescue breathing with inmates who had no pulse and were not breathing as was required by the standards at that time. With the new protocols you no longer have to give breaths to adults thus they have changed the process from A-B-C (airway, breathing, circulation) to C-A-B (circulation, airway, breathing). Thus in a correctional setting you do not have to give rescue breaths, only compressions as the scientists and doctors have found that doing compressions is adequate to provide proper air exchange and circulation at the same time. If an officer therefore just does compressions he or she is in compliance with the 2010 standards and has the added benefit of not exposing themselves to inadvertent exposure to bodily fluids, vomit, etc. In New York all correction officers are required by state law to be CPR and first aid trained every two years.We also have an AED on each tier or floor so properly trained officers can utilize them if needed.

At my old facility, security comes first. We all carried a CPR mask on our belt. Once we clear out the area, after calling for medical, we would then assess and start CPR.

I believe CPR certification is mandatory for all public servants. At my facility staff members must perform CPR if an emergency arises. However, we are to do chest compressions only unless we have a breathing mask on hand.

I totally agree, Jennin.

CPR to inmates….. I spent many years working in ICU & ER and inmate or not, I’m not giving mouth to mouth without protection and I wouldn’t expect anyone else to either. Neither would most of people I have worked with over the years. Personal Protection Equipment first, then rescue attempt. Dirtbag or not, it’s part of my job, but I’m a nurse. The good thing about mandating that everyone learn CPR is that at least everyone has been educated on how to perform it. God forbid if anyone’s friends or family might need it someday. After a victim has stopped breathing, every 1 minute CPR is delayed the victims survival rate is decreased by 10%. While millions of people are saved with CPR. I read somewhere that your chance of surviving cardiac arrest outside a hospital and keep your noggin intact is around 7%…. not very reassuring is it. I totally get the icky factor, and I can understand the compression only idea and I agree that anything is better than nothing. All chest compressions are not created equal, the quality of compressions make a huge difference. Doing CPR is hard, and doing it correctly is even harder. The truth is compressions alone won’t fix dead.

It sounds like you have some poor instructors, Striker. About the “every other year” thing, Ohio has dropped their standards to the national level.

I think it’s funny how they give us CPR training once a year and instead of really teaching..it’s read out of a book…now with it going every other year…like to see how that works out

No, the last one was about to get it, the nurse came running back with the defibbulater but he had already started breathing and I was chewing him out for scaring the hell out of me… :)

LOL!

More people would take CPR more seriously if they had just one instance of wanting to help but not knowing what to do. Too many of the people where I work think they suffer through CPR class for the inmate population and not for home or out on the street. You can look through the handbook all you want and never see the word “inmate”. I’ve talked with people who were grateful that someone else knew CPR when a family member went down, even if the family member didn’t make it. I constantly hear “they did all they could do” whether CPR was performed on an inmate or to someone out on the street.

Kudo’s to you.

No, the last one was about to get it, the nurse came running back with the defibbulater but he had already started breathing and I was chewing him out for scaring the hell out of me… :)

As for the others, one was back in 89 and we didn’t have the defidds yet and the other 2 were during auto accidents to clear airways and assist in breathing untill the EMT’s arrived to take over. As for second guessing, I think it’s mainly because with each one I just started to do something and would later think did I go thru the right steps like I was trained, did I forget something. I do remember I called for help each time, at least I always got that step right.

That’s awesome, Shakey. “Second guessing” makes sense and I can relate to that. Did any of those get defibbed?

I work in the infirmary as a officer and had one Inmate that I had to give chest compresions to after he stoped breathing last year and he can out of it. He was # 4 since 1983 that I helped with CPR or other assistance during all my years in law enforcement and corrections. Let me tell you each one made me feel freaky for a few days afterwards, even though I have not lost one, I keep on thinking, did i do it right or what else I could have done, (does that make any sence???). I just hope I never have to do it again, it mentaly drained the hell out of me after each one.

sorry for any errors in the grammer.

Two inmates had heart attacks this year. Both were clinically dead and had turned purple. Both received staff-initiated CPR and defib. One survived (and is back). The other didn’t make it.

Yeah, I understand. It does seem that the most important skills we need and will use several times a day are left for us to learn a little bit at a time. That would be a good topic for a new thread!

By the way… Ohio DRC is going to start CPR re-cert every other year. Is anyone else out there doing that?

I have written about this at length until I am blue in the face. We practice CPR and recertify each year. However, the true skills in inmate manipulation, deception and aggression detection is left to OJT????

It’s been a year since the original post. Does anyone personally know of any “saves” by a CO, either at work or on the street?

In Florida we have always been mandated to learn CPR. It was taught in the academy. I think everyone should know it because it may be a fellow officer that you save. We also have the 2 way breathing mask that is used to give CPR and you are not mandated to put your own life at risk. We have the mask available on our post or in the supervisors office. Under the good samaitain act we also can assist others that might need CPR. I think its a good technique that we all should know in any job that we have.

Mandatory here as well. With a large full time medical staff and clinic, I’ve only heard of two instances where CPR was performed. Never successfully. One of the deaths was caused by blunt head trauma, so CPR had little effect. We also have AEDs and mandatory staff instruction in those as well.