Course Details

1. Identify the different parts of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and describe situations such as respiratory arrest and insufficiency, coronary artery disease, angina pectoris and myocardial infarction.
2. Understand and apply the chain of survival in emergency situations.
3. Describe and apply basic life support such as respiratory and cardiac arrest.
4. Explain and apply the CPR procedure and clarify the differences when CPR is performed by one or two rescuers.
5. Distinguish between the special resuscitation situations and clarify the treatment for each one of them.
6. Interpret the pediatric basic life support and employ appropriate techniques in infant and childhood treatment.
7. Recognize and interpret the ethical and legal aspects during decision making.

·     Fundamentals of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems in the human body. The physiology of the heart, respiratory arrest and insufficiency (airway obstruction, central respiratory arrest), Coronary artery disease (arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, coronary heart disease, ischemic heart disease), Angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), collaboration of the heart and the lungs, actions for survival, sudden cardiac death (cardiac arrest).  

·     The chain of survival. Early access, early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), early defibrillation, early advanced cardiac life support (ACLS).

·     Adult basic life support. Citizen response to cardiopulmonary emergencies, survival rates from cardiac arrest, Indications for Basic Life Support (BLS) such as respiratory and cardiac arrest, the sequence of BLS (assessment, emergency medical services - EMS activation and the ABC’s of CPR), the CPR procedure (airway, breathing, circulation), CPR performed by one or two rescuers, foreign- body airway obstruction management.

·     Special resuscitation situations. Stroke, hypothermia, near-drowning, cardiac arrest associated with trauma, electric shock and lightning strike, pregnancy, allergies, asphyxiation.

·     Pediatric Basic life support. Epidemiology and prevention of common childhood injuries, the sequence of pediatric basic life support (BLS) – the ABC’s of CPR and emergency medical services (EMS) activation, coordination of compressions and rescue breathing, foreign body airway obstruction (manual removal of foreign bodies, back blows and chest thrusts in infants, the Heimlich maneuver in childs), basic life support in trauma.

·     Ethical and legal considerations. Values in decision making, continuing or discontinuing CPR, legal mandates.  

• American Heart Association (1999). Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers.
• St. John Ambulance Association & Brigade (2012). First Aid (9th edition).

• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), Thygerson, A.L. & Thygerson, S.M. (2011). First Aid, CPR and AED Advanced.
• American Red Cross (2012). First Aid/CPR/AED Participant’s Manual.

The structure of the class consists of lectures, class discussions and workshops to provide the students with the fundamental theoretical and practical background. Students get the opportunity to “put hands on practice” in class, in a variety of situations and get feedback for their treatment.