compressions - Safety Training Pros

Who is Resusci Anne?

We’ve all seen her, and many of us have learned our lifesaving CPR skills on her. You might ask who was the inspiration for that pleasant, yet enigmatic face on the Laerdal Resusci Anne manikin?

As originally reported by Kristine Rice of American Safety & Health Institute –

It would seem that “Anne” came from the face of a French girl, found drowned in the Seine in Paris in the 19^th century. The mouleurs (model-makers) were asked by a pathologist at the Paris mortuary to make a cast of the victim’s face, and it quickly became the mask-and-bust studio’s best-seller.

This little mask of the intriguing mystery girl has become fodder for poems, novels, and stories ever since, but the best use to which it was put came in the mid-1950s, when toymaker Asmund Laerdal used it for his first CPR manikin.

Snopes.com also weighs in on the story in their refutation of an urban legend about the origin of Resusci Anne’s peaceful visage. This often-repeated version credits Dr. Peter Safar, one of the creators of CPR, with modeling Anne after his own daughter, lost in a drowning accident.

Not quite, says Snopes. While Dr. Safar did unfortunately lose an 11-year-old daughter, it was not by drowning nor did he himself create a manikin. Our thanks instead must go to Laerdal for the creation that life-like manikin for CPR training still widely used today.

Safety Training Pros utilizes Laerdal manikins in all our CPR classes because of the realistic features, anatomically correct landmarks, audible feedback that reinforces the correct compression depth, and realistic chest compression resistance that allows our students to experience the amount of pressure needed to perform proper chest compressions in a real-life situation. Even though Laerdal manikins have one of the highest price points in the industry, the hands-on real-world simulation practice is worth it. Get rescue ready, get your CPR training from Safety Training Pros!

Nearly two hours without a heartbeat; man lives to thank rescuers

On January 1, 2013 twenty eight year old David Hillard was found outside in a water-filled ravine near his property. He had been outside for 14 hours and was unresponsive when found. He was suffering from hypothermia and his rescuers rated his chance of survival as nonexistent. On the way to the hospital he went into cardiac arrest.

Miraculous teamwork saved David’s life. Many emergency workers were involved including the EMT team, nurses, and other staff in the hospital emergency room. They performed CPR on David for 109 minutes. They did the chest compressions, ventilations, an AED, and administered medications, in what resulted in a successful effort to bring him back to life and stabilize his heartbeat.

Eleven days after the incident with the support of his family, he was able to thank his rescuers.

CPR saves lives – “When every second counts, your training matters”