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We do not issue refunds. If you need to cancel or don’t attend the course, you will forfeit your payment.
To reschedule*, you must email us at, ben@gacpr.com, prior to the start of the CPR class. You may only reschedule once.

LATE POLICY

AHA requires students to attend the entire class and to respect timely students, no late admittance allowed. You must make a request to reschedule in writing. A $25 rescheduling fee applies.* To reschedule see fee details.

Thank you for choosing Georgia CPR for your CPR certification needs!

*Fees apply. – A $25 fee applies if you reschedule within 7 days of the class. – A $10 fee applies if you reschedule at least 7 days before the class.

Latest Post

  • March 13, 2015
  • By cpr_ben

Fainting: What To Do When Someone Faints

 

A stylized illustration of a woman fainting, wearing a minimalist outfit. She gently touches her forehead with one hand, extending the other outward. Her expression is a mix of surprise and delicacy. The simple color scheme highlights her elegant form against a plain background.

Fainting

You are at a gathering, one moment a person in the group is fully conscious, even engaging in conversation with another. Before you realize it, they simple collapse and are on the floor, unconscious. This can be pretty scary, and while it’s usually not super serious, it can be, so we cover this topic in our Atlanta CPR classes. Fainting is to what I am referring. Fainting is the short term loss of consciousness from the decrease in blood flow to the brain. There are many causes of fainting. It is important to know what is going on and how to treat and possibly prevent fainting.

Causes of Fainting

As mentioned, there are many causes of fainting. Here are some of the most common:

  • Emotional trauma
  • Sudden drop in blood pressure
  • Dehydration
  • Low blood sugar
  • Hyperventilation

What actually happens with many of these causes, is that one way or another, the precipitating factor lowers the pressure of blood to the brain. This happens from more than one potential mechanism in the body. The most common mechanism is when these things in the above list increase the level of acetylcholine in the system. Acetylcholine is the opposite of adrenaline. So, let’s say you see something horrible or hear bad news. your Vagus nerve triggers a dump of acetylcholine into your bloodstream, knocking out all of your adrenaline, lowering your blood pressure, causing fainting.

Treating Fainting

When someone faints, our first priority is to make sure they don’t further hurt themselves. Of course we don’t want to hurt ourselves either, and that’s possible. I will assure you, if I faint and you try to catch me, we are both going down. Think of it this way, if you try to catch the weight of 7 cinder blocks (28lbs ea.), do you think you could carry it?

Noop. Not a chance. As much as we like to consider ourselves strong, we need to acknowledge our physical limitations.

Here’s what you do when someone faints according to WebMD:

  • Try to easy the person to the floor
  • Try vigorously to revive the person
  • When they wake up, give them some fruit juice or sugary drink
  • Stay with them

They state that we should always call 911 if the person:

  • Has blue lips or face
  • Has a heart beet that doesn’t seem normal
  • Has chest pain
  • Are difficult to awaken
  • Is acting out of sorts or confused

Preventing Fainting

  • Make sure you don’t go too long without eating
  • Avoid hot rooms, which can increase the chance of fainting
  • Ensure you stay properly hydrated
  • Be sure to flex leg muscles if you have to stand for a long time

Remember: Start CPR (Just push on the center of the chest hard and fast) if someone:

  • Is unconscious 

AND

  • Is NOT breathing