Equipment
Equipment
The equipment outlined on this page offers a model for the equipment and resources necessary to teach a certified American Heart Association Course. These suggestions stem from our own teaching experiences. We typically acquire equipment from Amazon, though other training equipment providers are also viable options. The American Heart Association does not recommend any specific retailer or product.
Manikins
The Prestan Take2 Manikin Kits have performed well during our courses. They satisfy the feedback requirements of the American Heart Association and are easily transportable. The provided AED trainers also match well with current live models. Here are some additional considerations whith Prestan Kits:
Compressions on Prestan Manikins are realistic but the lungs / Airway leave something to be desired. The replaceable lung bag can fold over in the manikin's neck and cut off airflow during practice. We recommend buying some cheap plastic party straws to put down the manikin's airway to help reduce this issue.
The Adult Manikins, Infant Manikins, and AED Trainers all use different battery types.
Each kit of of 2 adults and 2 infants can teach a course of up to 8 people with 4 people per manikin. We recommend leaving the kits intact and simply adding additional kits for larger courses.
Here is a link that will take you directly to the Amazon Product Page: Prestan Take2 Manikin Kit
Instructor Materials
Instructor materials contain the instructor manuals, student manuals, and course videos that are developed by the American Heart Association and can be purchased directly through their ShopCPR website at shopcpr.heart.org.
Basic Life Support
For new BLS Instructors we recommend purchasing the BLS Instructor Package with USB Video. DVD based videos might run into formatting issues with certain DVD players and the streaming options require a stable internet connection. Since these materials can be pricy, we recommend sharing among groups of instructors. Here is a link that will take you directly to the Instructor Package within the ShopCPR website:
BLS Instructor Package with USB Video
Heartsaver
The Heartsaver line of courses include Heartsaver CPR/AED, Heartsaver Pediatric (For Preschools and Daycares), and Heartsaver First Aid. These courses have their own Instructor Manuals and Course Videos. Here is a link that will take you directly to the Heartsaver instructor materials:
Heartsaver First Aid CPR/AED Instructor Manual
Heartsaver Pediatric CPR/AED Instructor Manual
Additional Materials
There are several materials that are either used up during course instruction, or naturally wear out due to repetitive use. Here are some considerations when keeping these materials up to date.
Barrier Devices and Bag Valve Masks
Barrier devices and Bag Valve Masks (BVMs) are naturally worn out by students as they practice their skills. We recommend using expired medical equipment that has not been used during an emergency. However, BVMs and barrier devices can be purchased through Amazon or medical equipment providers.
Manikin Lungs
If students are breathing into manikins during the course of instruction, then lungs need to be replaced between classes. A manikin lung that has not been replaced after instruction could potentially spread illness to future students. Be sure to stock each training kit with plenty of replacement lungs for that manikin type.
AED Training Pads
As students practice with AED Trainers, the pads will naturally lose their adhesive and become dirty. This will result in the AED not properly detecting pad placement. Be sure to replace AED Trainer pads often (About every 10 - 20 courses) to ensure the trainers function properly.
CPR Mask Training Adapters
CPR Mask Training Adapters are given to each CPR-Training student and help prevent the spread of communicable disease while breathing into manikins. When purchasing training adapters, we recommend buying in bulk since this can reduce the per-item cost. This link will take you to an example of these products on Amazon:
Prestan CPR Mask Training Adapter
Batteries
Manikins and AED Trainers can burn up a lot of batteries. Last Minute Training has been experimenting with Pale Blue's line of USB-C rechargeable batteries and we're pretty impressed. Each battery type can be recharged around 1000 times with a simple USB-C Cable. This is also a perfect solution for game controllers at home.
Be sure to check them out: