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Infection Control

For people who work in the healthcare industry and other professions that are regularly exposed to medical emergencies, an infection control course covers the ways to keep people safe from infectious bloodborne diseases, such as HIV and Hepatitis B.

Read through the questions below to learn more about Infection Control Courses and find out how to enroll in an infection control course online.

What Does an Infection Control Course Cover?

An infection control course provides training on how to avoid the transmission of bloodborne and airborne diseases while treating an injury. Not only does it highlight the common diseases, the course also covers how to take precaution against exposure and what to do if exposure occurs. Furthermore, it teaches what personal protective equipment to use when handling and disposing infectious materials as well as how to cleanup from a bio-hazardous spill.

Why Is an Infection Control Course Important?

For people who work in healthcare, it’s not uncommon to be exposed to blood on a regular basis. Considering that HIV and Hepatitis B are two infectious diseases that are carried in blood, it’s important to know how to limit the risk of exposure.

How Is the Infection Control Course Different From Standard First Aid Training?

While first aid training covers the basics, an infection control course delves deeper into how to handle an emergency situation. You’ll learn how to survey the scene of the trauma and assess the best way to safely handle the emergency while limiting the risk of exposure.

Who Should Take an Infection Control Course?

While people working in the medical or healthcare fields obviously benefit from an infection control course, it’s also good for people who work in education and athletics or anywhere that may have a higher likelihood of blood being spilled.

How to Find an Infection Control Course Online?

SimpleCPR offers a nationally accredited Bloodborne Pathogens and Infection Control course that offers OSHA compliant training. The online course takes between 30 and 60 minutes to complete and the wallet certification card can be printed immediately after taking the online exam. Once completed, the certification is good for two years.

CPR Compressions – What You Need to Know

Being able to perform effective CPR compressions is an essential component of giving life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to someone suffering from cardiac arrest. It is the compression of the chest that keeps blood pumping throughout the body and, most importantly, to the brain. Without constant blood flow, the brain will begin to die in 6 to 8 minutes, which makes bystander CPR compressions so vital to a cardiac arrest victim’s survival. The sooner a victim begins receiving CPR chest compressions, the better their prognosis.

If you are concerned about performing CPR in an emergency, whether you have never been certified or it has been a while since your last certification expired, you can always go over the basics by taking a class. Most CPR courses today are quick, easy, and can even be done online. Classes will cover all necessary topics such as “how many compressions for CPR” and “how deep to compress the chest.”

Although CPR is a simple concept, when it comes to real-life emergencies, efficiency is key. Knowing how to give deep CPR chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute, and when to give rescue breaths or use hands-only CPR is going to make a big difference when it comes to victim survival rate. Delayed action, shallow CPR compressions, or imperfect rescue breaths will not be as beneficial for the cardiac arrest victim.

Online CPR classes are a great way to boost your knowledge of CPR and retain the important details that will ensure you have the ability to provide efficient treatment. SimpleCPR offers several different types of CPR training that you can take at any time and work at your own pace. Becoming certified in CPR or renewing your expired certification will give you the confidence to quickly step in and help someone in the event of a cardiac emergency. Your knowledge and action could truly mean the difference between life and death.

First Aid Basics – Sprained Ankle Treatment

A sprained or rolled ankle can be painful. A sprain means that the ligaments, tough bands of tissue that help stabilize your joints, have been stretched beyond their normal capacity. Several common causes of sprains include a fall that twists your ankle, walking or running on uneven surfaces, or even losing your footing while wearing shoes that do not support the ankle, such as high heels. These types of accidents can cause your ligaments to stretch, tear partially, or even tear completely.

Sprained ankle treatment should be applied when your sprain is relatively minor and does not require professional medical care.

The symptoms of a sprain are:

  • Pain while bearing weight on the sprained joint.
  • Lack of full range of motion.
  • Swelling and/or bruising.

If you have rolled your ankle and suspect a sprain, make sure that you begin sprained ankle treatment immediately.

The best ankle sprain treatment to use is RICE therapy:

  • Rest: rest the affected area immediately. Avoid any activity that causes pain or discomfort.
  • Ice: apply a wrapped ice pack to the area for ONLY 15-20 minutes at a time. Repeat this every two or three hours. Never apply ice directly to skin, and never leave for longer than 20 minutes to prevent further injury.
  • Compression: lightly compress your ankle with an elastic bandage until the swelling does down. Make sure the wrapping is not too tight as to restrict circulation.
  • Elevation: elevate your ankle above the level of your heart for as long as is comfortable, and repeat in intervals. For best results, keep your ankle elevated while you sleep to keep down any swelling.

Home remedies such as RICE ankle sprain treatment are excellent ways to allow your sprain to heal. However, these remedies are for mild sprains and rolled ankles only. If the signs and symptoms of your sprain are severe, or do not alleviate in a few days, make sure you see a doctor immediately. It could be possible that you have a broken bone.

For more information on sprains and how to effectively give rolled ankle treatment, take a quick and simple first aid course on SimpleCPR.