# CPR AHA vs Red Cross?



## Zalan

Just wondering which is the Prefered CPR for EMS profession?

Presently I have a AHA cert in CPR. On Saturday I just took the course again as my cert runs out in December. I passed the AHA course with flying colors  (BLS for Health Care Professionals). Is there any difference in the Red Cross Version? I understand that there are differently levels of CPR cert. Earlier this year my employeer required a Red Cross Cert even though I had a AHA BLS cpr cert. The job is a Security position that requires Red Cross cert ever year in order to be employeed there. The instructor said I was held to AHA cert due to it being more advance than the Red Cross version he taught.

Should I proceed to obtain the Red Cross cert in addition to AHA cert? or should I stop with the AHA cert?

Normally, I`m the Emt-b student that ask for more trainning on the State Emt-b state skill sheets ^^.


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## bryncvp

There is no real difference. Maybe the ratios or counting might be off, but other than that, you are still doing chest compressions and breathing for them. I have never had an AHA cert and I am actually a Red Cross instructor. It use to be that everyone wanted to do AHA because you only needed to renew every 2 years and ARC you had to do it once a year. But now the ARC has a new CPR/AED class called CPR for the Healthcare Provider (formerly known as CPR for the Professional Rescuer) that only requires you to recert every 2 years. Like I said though, I have never had an AHA cert and I have been in sports medicine for over 10 years and an EMT for a few years...despite what some may say...there is no real difference. You should be able to use them interchangably. As an instructor, I teach EMS and Fire ARC all the time. My whole firehouse is ARC.


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## dhaage

I have seen both used on the service I work for, most of us are Red Cross as we have a few instructors on the service and it is provided free to us each year.  Although the certs are for 2 years, our System Protocols require us to renew it each year.


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## jjesusfreak01

The courses are the same. Some organisations are unnecessarily picky and request their employees to get one or the other, but they both use the AHA CPR guidelines. I have heard that the AHA course might be a little more hardcore (no explanation), but they still teach all the same material.


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## MMiz

The Red Cross course uses the AHA guidelines, and the AHA is the organization doing the research.  I have found that nearly all organizations I've looked at require AHA courses.


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## abckidsmom

MMiz said:


> The Red Cross course uses the AHA guidelines, and the AHA is the organization doing the research.  I have found that nearly all organizations I've looked at require AHA courses.



Me too.  And I really like the course format for AHA courses.  They do a great job of getting the point across with rationale, even at an extremely basic level.


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## lampnyter

Im an AHA CPR instructor and ive taken both classes and they are pretty much the same. Where i work, they require AHA but i know places that are red cross.


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## Jay

Likewise as Lampnyter said, I started off taking the Red Cross certs many year ago when I first got interested in life guarding and subsequently added on BLS and First Aid. Flash forward 15 years where i had to get AHA Healthcare Provider to be a First Responder. Aside from old, bad habits in which I was still thinking 15:2 for my ratio, the course itself all came back to me. That may just be because ARC, ASHI, etc. uses AHA for their guidelines. I found that at least in Philadelphia, the AHA cert is more respected and decided to become an AHA BLS instructor, I will be doing my on-site class on 10/17/2010 and look forward to it.


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## MRE

From the Massachusetts EMS guidelines:

Every EMT must hold current certification in National Safety Council, Red Cross Professional Rescuer or American Heart Association Health Care Provider BLS-CPR. Level A, B, D, E, Community, Adult, or Pediatric CPR certification is NOT acceptable. 

I teach CPR for the red cross and I have AHA BLS CPR through my ambulance service.  The only real differences between the AHA and ARC are in the obstructed airway procedures.  AHA says to do abdominal thrusts on a conscious adult or child.  ARC says to do 5 back blows and alternate with 5 abdominal thrusts.  Yes that is for adults and children, both alternate between blows and thrusts for infants.  For an unconscious person, AHA says to do CPR (30 compressions).  ARC says to do 5 compressions between checking for the obstruction and re-attempting ventilation.

All in all, they are effectively the same and interchangeable.  We'll see what happens after the next round of updates though.


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## cpronlinehq

*AHA vs Red Cross*

comprehensive comparison of AHA vs Red Cross. You can read it on my blog CPR Certification Headquarters. I am not allowed to post links so you can just visit and check it out.


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## ZombieEMT

Most common required in my area is AHA but many places also accept ARC. I am AHA Instructor and have always been with AHA. Both jobs require and pay for AHA.


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## Ewok Jerky

i have taken both and they teach you the same stuff.  unless your company requires one or the other, take whichever is cheaper/closer/more convenient.


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## NomadicMedic

I was an ARC instructor for years, now teach AHA. The courses are so similar in delivery and content, there is virtually no difference.


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## mycrofft

1. Whatever your employer wants.
2. AHA versus ARC: all I have to say is "ABC versus CAB", and "back blows".


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