Los Angeles CPR offers basic and advanced training in CPR to the general public, health care providers, and health care professionals. All our courses are taught by certified rescuers who have trained in Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support, proving you with the best possible education. We have five training programs and three re-certification classes available, for very affordable rates.
Heart Disease: How Dangerous It Can Be
For the most part, heart disease is almost always caused by an unhealthy lifestyle – that involves diet, exercise, daily physical activity, and vices. The biggest contributor to heart disease that is characterized by fat build-up in the vessels is a diet high in fat, bad cholesterol, and salt. Fat, when taken in amounts that cannot be converted by the body into usable energy, gets deposited in different areas – blood vessels included. Bad cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein – damages blood vessels and obstructs blood flow through them. Sodium, when not filtered out by the kidneys, causes hypertension. When these factors convalesce in the vessels that lead to the heart, a person develops heart disease. Rheumatic heart disease
However, not all heart disease works that way. Rheumatic heart disease is caused by another disease – rheumatic fever. Because rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease, it can damage the vessels of the heart. It manifests as a strep throat, which can migrate into the heart and cause a vegetative growth on the vessels. This prevents the vessels from adequately controlling the flow of blood through the heart and lungs. With valvular dysfunction, the heart can compensate for the poor blood flow and delivery by increasing the force of atrial contraction to send more blood to the ventricles. This can develop into atrial hypertrophy. Too much pressure on the heart with a chronic condition can lead to eventual heart failure and cardiac arrest.
CPR class at Los Angeles CPR
Basic Life Support training will teach you how to give basic bystander CPR, either alone or with another rescuer. First aid for common emergency situations is also included in all three basic CPR courses. These basic courses typically last around 4 to 4.5 hours. Re-certification available for the third program in the list.
- Heartsaver CPR and AED – (for the public) teaches one-rescuer CPR
- Heartsaver CPR and AED C – (for health care providers) teaches one-rescuer CPR
- Basic Life Support for health care providers – teaches one and two-rescuer CPR
Advanced Life Support will also cover the basic skills of compressions, ventilation, and defibrillation but the lessons prioritize teaching medical management skills to students. Both ALS programs take two days to complete, running between 14 an 16 hours long. Re-certification is available for both programs as well.
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support – (for health care professionals) teaches management of adult victims
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support – (for health care professionals) teaches management of pediatric victims
CPR certificates for basic and advanced courses are only valid for two years so don’t forget to get re-certified.