The ejection fraction (EF) is an important measurement in determining how well your heart is pumping out blood and in diagnosing and tracking heart failure.What it is? A measurement of how much blood the left ventricle pumps out with each contraction.What it means.An ejection fraction of 60 percent means that 60 percent of the total amount of blood in the left ventricle is pushed out with each heartbeat. What's normal?

• A normal heart's ejection fraction may be between 55 and 70.
• You can have a normal ejection fraction reading and still have heart failure. If the heart muscle has become so thick and stiff that the ventricle holds a smaller-than-usual volume of blood, it might still seem to pump out a normal percentage of the blood that enters it. In reality, though, the total amount of blood pumped isn't enough to meet your body's needs.

What's too low?

• A measurement under 40 may be evidence of heart failure or cardiomyopathy.
• An EF between 40 and 55 indicates damage, perhaps from a previous heart attack, but it may not indicate heart failure.
• In severe cases, EF can be very low.

What's too high?EF higher than 75 percent could indicate a heart condition like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.Tests for measuring EF:

• Echocardiogram
• MUGA scan
• CAT scan
• Cardiac catheterization
• Nuclear stress test 
• \

So if you would like to take a CPR or first aid class give us a call (503)538-2610

Give them a gift that could save the baby life.

NEW Baby Shower Class: $35.00
We will come to your baby shower and do a 2-3 hour class. At the end everyone will receive a certificate with the option to turn it into an AHA certification.
The Course includes:
Infant CPR
First aid basics (including scene safety, finding the problem, and calling for help)
Medical emergencies (including actions for choking, breathing problems, and shock)
Injury emergencies (including actions for bleeding, broken bones, and burns)
Environmental emergencies (including actions for bites and stings, and temperature-related and poison emergencies)

CPR Northwest
503-538-2610

Wondering how you can keep your child’s school safer for him and his fellow students? If you’re not sure where to start, use the three tips below to get an idea of what to do. In addition to better preparing everyone should an emergency actually occur at school, they’ll give everyone peace of mind that they’re ready to handle the worst if need be.

1. Learn CPR: Make sure teachers are familiar with Advanced Cardiac Life Support Training and Pediatric Advanced Life Support so that they can handle life-threatening situations in case the nurse can’t get there fast enough. Implement a mandatory training program as part of your next teacher workshop day, and keep all staff up to date with refresher courses throughout the year.

2. Make Allergies Known: Being sure that children’s allergies (to food and otherwise) are taken seriously is a key way to avoid unnecessary accidents. Make a peanut-free table in the lunch room for kids who need it, and be sure the lunch monitors strictly enforce the restriction.

3. Keep Emergency Contact Information Up to Date: In this age of advanced technology, it’s easy to go beyond a hand-written emergency contact card for every student. In addition to paper files, make an effort to digitize all emergency contact info, and place it in a publicly available folder for all staff to access at the click of a button.
To learn CPR or first aid call us for a class (503)538-2610

Though you’re pretty sure there’s a fire detector somewhere and you think you heard something about an evacuation plan, you probably aren’t totally sure what would happen were there to be an emergency in your office. If you want to get a jump on safety, try the three tips below to be sure you’re prepared.

1. Offer CPR Training: Being sure everyone in your office is schooled in Advanced Cardiac Life Support Training and Pediatric Emergency Assessment and Recognition can go a long way towards helping you to be set in a worst case scenario. Additionally, employees will take the knowledge home with them, helping to make the world a safer place outside of the office.

2. Have a phone tree: If there’s an emergency event at the office that needs to be communicated to employees at home, it’s a smart idea to have a phone tree in place so everyone stays in the know. Having a phone tree also offers a great backup, should the email server ever go down.

3. Do Fire Drills: Fire drills ensure that everyone knows where to be in the event of an actual emergency, and can help keep you all calm, cool and collected, should something occur. In addition, fire drills make it easier for everybody to stay calm and feel prepared, even if an emergency never arises

Sweden has instituted a country-wide program where citizens can enroll to receive an SMS when there is a heart attack victim nearby, allowing them to reach them faster than an ambulance and provide CPR.  Over 1,500 people with CPR skills have enrolled in the program, called SMSlifesavers (smslivraddare in Swedish).  When its call center receives an alert about a possible heart attack, SMSlifesavers within a quarter mile (500 meters) are text message with an address and map.  In 40% of the cases, SMSlifesavers arrived before ambulances and started providing CPR.

The service was launched as a research project by the Stockholm South General Hospital, with the goal of increasing the survival rate by 50% in cases where cardiac arrest happened outside of a hospital.  The system uses global positioning of user’s cell phones to find lifesavers

While this service might result in a mob of local Samaritans rushing to providing help, having too much help is better than help arriving too late – without quick CPR, victims don’t have a chance and is the main reason why their survival rate is so low.

Medical emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time, it’s always a good idea to have a plan in place – especially at work. CPR Northwest training program has been added to many workplaces and businesses. Just like CPR Northwest gives people the tools and skills to prevent potential disasters, like forklifts accidents at warehouses, dockyards and more.



People who use CPR Northwest include forklift drivers, supervisors, heavy equipment operators and many other types of workers. Because we always want the workplace to be a safer area, here are 5 safety tips for avoiding a potential CPR situation.

1) Make sure all wires and electrical devices are properly put away. Since cardiac arrest can be caused by electrocution, protect all wires and boxes. Only trained electricians should have access to dangerous areas.

2) Keep the air flowing. Another common cause of cardiac arrest at work, is blacking out because no oxygen is flowing to the brain. If a worker has to enter a room with poor air quality, make sure they have a co-worker ready to help.

3) Follow proper procedures. Serious accidents can trigger cardiac arrest in the workplace. Review your employer’s safety information to prevent accidents and CPR from happening.

4) Know your emergency numbers. CPR should be performed before EMT’s arrive. Sometimes, a quick call to an ambulance service or hospital ensures they’re already on their way before CPR needs to be administered.

5) Provide rewards for being healthy. Many employers provide a rewards program for living a healthy life. Gym memberships, non-smoking programs and other programs can drop your health insurance costs and prevent a cardiac arrest from happening.

We hope these tips are useful for your own workplace. Planning ahead is a great tool for preventing serious emergencies. Additionally, a proper certification for forklift operators can help avoid bad accidents at work.
To take a CPR class give us a call at 503-538-2610

Thousands of dental emergencies happen each year, some of them life threatening. Dentists need to be prepared for any emergency that may occur in their office. If a patient is under anesthesia or is coming out of anesthesia they could present with a serious problem such as cardiac arrest. Your dentist office needs to be prepared!

Whether it is because of the anesthesia or an underlying medical problem such as heart disease or a heart defect, it is imperative that the dentist you visit, twice per year, is well equipped to handle any emergency. The entire staff should carry a CPR certification and have completed their BLS training.

Your dentist office must have life saving equipment readily available such as a defibrillator and they should always be monitoring patients during any procedure. The dentist should always take a patient’s thorough medical history, including allergies, to ensure that the process of having to administer anesthesia happens without complication.

The entire dental team should have an emergency plan of action. They should know exactly what their job is and how to effectively carry it out.
If you need to get your staff trained in BLS give us a call and say you saw it her and you will get 10% off a class of 4 or more. (503) 538-2610

Heart disease is the number one killer of women. Though breast cancer has, through mass popular fund raising and health education programs, been in the forefront of public health awareness, heart disease in fact takes the lives of more women every year. The American Heart Association (AHA) is working at improving the public awareness of the threat heart disease poses to society and to women specifically. It is known that there is a strong genetic component to both breast cancer and heart disease. Unlike breast cancer however, there are several things that women with heart disease can do to reduce their chances of dying. A key first step in promoting women’s health and reducing morbidity is early recognition of heart attack symptoms for women and efficient treatment of acute symptoms. Complicating this effort is the fact that women do not have ‘classic’ signs and symptoms. CPR Northwest is an advocate for health and health education and supports this community outreach education effort in women’s health promotion.



Women who are having a heart attack typically don’t have classic chest pain. The public’s common perceptions of heart attack symptoms include ‘crushing chest pain’, nausea, and diaphoresis. Though these are typical heart attack symptoms, they tend to be more commonly found among males. Women can have these symptoms and are encouraged to promptly seek medical attention should they develop these symptoms. Heart attack symptoms for women can be much different. However, in addition to the more ‘classic’ heart attack symptoms, women may also present with several slightly more subtle symptoms that should not be ignored. Among these are band like back pain, shoulder and abdominal pain. Additionally, women tend to feel short of breath, chest congestion that some describe as ‘flu like’. Actual fainting or near syncope is also commonly reported, more often with women than men.

Do you know what heart attack symptoms for women are?

Symptom recognition is a key first step in damage control in managing an acute heart attack. Initial heart attack symptoms for women can be subtle and easily inappropriately identified as ‘flu’ or muscle strain. To reduce the chances of dying from a heart attack, it is important to stay informed and aware of the signs that, in women, may indicate an acute heart event. This awareness, combined with an understanding of heart health risks, is a key first step in improving the outcome post heart attack.

 Heart Attack Symptoms for Women and “The Simple 7″ Managing heart health risk involves more than weight loss and regular check ups. Although important as a component in a balanced approach to health maintenance, the AHA is an advocate of a multi pronged approach to cardiovascular health management. In addition to recognizing some of the less well known heart attack symptoms for women, the AHA also publishes “The Simple 7.” These seven guidelines are “Heart Health Factors” that are aimed at health promotion and reducing our chances of dying from heart disease. The simple seven are:

Get Active

Control Cholesterol

Eat Better

Manage Blood Pressure

Lose Weight

Reduce Blood Sugar

Stop Smoking

CPR Northwest supports the AHA’s efforts in promoting heart health through education and research. The classes offered at SureFire CPR: First Aid, Basic CPR,, all are taught according to AHA guidelines. CPR Northwest has classes available in your neighborhood. Call and schedule your class today. 503-538-2610

According to studies conducted at Northwestern University, this could be a true statement.  Data collected on both men and women show that individuals with two or more of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease by age 55 have a higher risk for myocardial infarction or stroke.

While genetics play a major role in determining cardiac health, maintaining two or more of the major risk factors (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking) over extended time will increase the likelihood and could predict a high lifetime risk for cardiac injury or stroke.

Taken from an article written in the Advisory Board Company website:

Having just two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease—such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking—at age 55 may predict a high lifetime risk of cardiac death, according to a recent NEJM study.

Decreasing those risk factors before middle age can make a significant difference for both men and women alike.  A regular physical examination with appropriate blood tests to monitor for these risk factors is key and the first step to improving the likelihood of cardiac injury.

With a national focus on diet, exercise and overall health, it is easy to find programs to support goals on an individual basis.  Eliminating smoking and excessive alcohol consumption is one of the best ways to begin moving down the road to overall health.  Diet and exercise have also been proven to eliminate many of the cardiac risk factors listed above.

Following through with making these important steps can assist in attaining a better state of wellness by age 55.

Looking for CPR Classes give us a call? 503-538-2610

Heart failure caused by damage to the heart that has developed over time can't be cured. But it can be treated, quite often with strategies to improve symptoms. Successful treatment depends on your willingness to get involved in managing this condition, whether you're the patient or a caregiver. You and your loved ones are an active part of the healthcare team.
Your treatment plan may include:

• Lifestyle changes
• Medications
• Surgery
  • Surgical Procedures Without Devices
  • Implantable Medical Devices
• Ongoing Care
  • Physical Changes to Report
  • Your Healthcare Team
  • For Caregivers

Regardless of your treatment, you need to follow all of your doctor's recommendations and make the necessary changes in diet, exercise and lifestyle to give you the highest possible quality of life.Clinical TrialsClinical trials are scientific studies that determine if a possible new medical advance can help people and whether it has harmful side effects. Find answers to common questions about clinical trials in our Guide to Understanding Clinical Trials. 
To take a CPR or frist aid class give us a call (503)538-2610