Will other programs and materials be affected by the change to new protocols?
The first priority if always to update the basic first aid training materials. These are materials used on Emergency and Standard level first aid programs, and their provincial equivalents. All programs that include any first aid content or application, will be updated to reflect new protocols in a secondary priority sequence. In most cases, these materials will be updated as they come up for regularly scheduled reprinting. These materials include the national Pocket Guide, Wilderness, Marine and Pre-Course Study Guides. Check with your local St John office for more details.
Is St John Ambulance moving from ABCs to CBA?
Yes and no. The new CBA acronym is intended to reflect the changes to sequence a first aider will follow AFTER they have completed an initial assessment of the injured person. First aiders will continue to check for ABCs (airway, breathing and circulation) in the first steps. If the injured person is determined to be unresponsive/unconscious and not breathing, the first aider will immediately begin compressions. The first 30 compressions will be followed by opening of the airway and a check for breathing, thus the CAB sequence.
Will St John Ambulance be teaching compression only CPR?
No. Compression only CPR is recommended where the person responding to an emergency is untrained or otherwise not comfortable with breathing into the injured person. In all emergency situation, we hope that you will call 9-1-1 and get additional help and then provide care to the level you are comfortable and/or trained. Compression only CPR can make a real difference in survival as oxygenated blood is circulated through the body in the critical first minutes following an arrest. Students attending first aid classes will continue to learn how to do CPR including both compressions and ventilations.
If I have a current St John Ambulance certificate, do I have to take another course to remain certified?
No. St John Ambulance certificates remain valid according to the expiry date listed on the certificate. Changes to protocol reflect the most current research and best practices agreed to by major training agencies. These changes are not intended to suggest that current knowledge or skills is either incorrect or dangerous. Individuals interested in updating their training are always welcome to retrain before the expiry date of a current program and students will receive new materials and information on the first class they take after the local implementation date. Refer to posting #2 for more information on when new programs will be available in your area.
When will new protocols be implemented in St John Ambulance classes?
National course materials are currently under revision and will be released to provincial Councils in the next couple of months. Implementation will be coordinated provincially as current instructors are oriented to the new materials and methodology.
Each Council will transition to the new program when the majority of instructors in their jurisdiction have completed the update process. Check with the local branch or provincial Council in your area for specific dates. In-plant clients and partner providers should contact the local office to discuss when and how they will move to the new program.
All St John Ambulance programs will offer training according to the new protocols before January 1, 2012.
How (and why) do protocols change?
Research into the efficacy of first aid and CPR is an ongoing process that involves scientists around the world. The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) meets regularly providing a forum for member councils (7 resuscitation councils worldwide) to discuss the science and practice of resuscitation.
Every five years, ILCOR brings internationally renowned researchers together to evaluate the collective work and make recommendations. This event took place in Dallas, Texas in February 2010. Recommendations are based on changes that will either improve survival rates and/or make teaching skills more effective.
The results of the Consensus on Science and Treatment Recommendations (CoSTR) are published by the European Resuscitation Council (ERD) and the American Heart Association (AHA).
Once the guidelines document has been published, the five national training agencies in Canada (St John Ambulance, Red Cross, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Lifesaving Society and Canadian Ski Patrol meet to discuss issues related to implementation of guideline recommendations in Canada. Every effort is made to work together and agree to a common practice for the delivery of first aid and CPR training for the next five years.
For more information on changes to first aid and CPR training protocols and the impact these changes will have for St John Ambulance training, watch this site.
If you have specific questions you would like addressed on this site, please direct them to info@nhq.sja.ca
For more information check out the following sites:
http://www.ilcor.org for more information on ILCOR
http://www.heart.org for the American Heart Association website
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/vol122/16_suppl_2/ for information on Circulation, Volume 122, Issue 16, Supplement 2; October 19, 2010
the consensus document published by the American Heart Association
http://www.heartandstroke.com for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada website