HowToDoThings.com First Aid

How To Find Your Pulse

The2 — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:22:00 -0600

There are many locations on the human body where your pulse can be felt. Your pulse is the pressure wave of blood that is generated when your heart muscles contract. It reflects the rhythm, rate and strength of your heart's contractions. You can feel your pulse anywhere that an artery (a blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart) crosses over a bone and is close to the skin's surface. Some of the most common places to easily find your pulse are listed below.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you're finding your pulse. The first is: don't use your thumb. Your thumb has a pulse of its own, which can trick you into thinking you've found a pulse point when you haven't. This is mainly a concern when you're feeling for someone else's pulse-you don't want to confuse your pulse with theirs. To avoid this problem, always use your forefinger and middle finger to locate a pulse.

How To Use an AED

The2 — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 12:41:00 -0500

Warning: These guidelines are not a substitute for AED training.

AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillators), when used swiftly-in the first 3-5 minutes of a person collapsing-have been shown to dramatically increase the survival rate of people suffering from cardiac arrest. An AED will automatically determine the heart rhythm of a pulseless victim and, if the victim is in ventricular fibrillation (v-fib), shock the victim's heart in an attempt to restore its rhythm to normal.

When a heart is in v-fib, it is still receiving nerve impulses from the brain. These impulses are simply firing so chaotically that the heart cannot produce a "beat;" it cannot expel enough blood to keep the circulatory system (and thus oxygen) flowing through the body. Brain cells begin to die after 4-6 minutes of oxygen deprivation.

How To Recognize the Signs of a Stroke

The2 — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 17:17:00 -0600

Note: Always call 911 as soon as you suspect that a medical emergency has occurred.

The American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, warns that a stroke is the third leading cause of death in American adults. Unfortunately strokes occur often, so it's important to know how to recognize one.

The most important thing to remember when you encounter someone who you suspect has had a stroke is time matters. If a stroke victim gets to the hospital within 2 hours of the onset of symptoms, doctors may be able to administer a drug that could counteract some of the effects of the stroke and help lead to a more meaningful recovery.