About 75-80% of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, so being trained to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can mean the difference between life and death for a loved one.
Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after cardiac arrest, can double a victim’s chance of survival.
CPR helps maintain vital blood flow to the heart and brain and increases the amount of time that an electric shock from a defibrillator can be effective.
Approximately 95% of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital.
Death from sudden cardiac arrest is not inevitable. If more people knew CPR and had an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to use, more lives could be saved.
Brain death starts to occur four to six minutes after someone experiences cardiac arrest if no CPR and defibrillation occurs during that time.
If bystander CPR is not provided, a sudden cardiac arrest victim’s chances of survival fall 7-10% for every minute of delay until defibrillation. Few attempts at resuscitation are successful if CPR and defibrillation are not provided within minutes of collapse.
Coronary heart disease accounts for about 450,000 of the nearly 870,000 adults who die each year as a result of cardiovascular disease.
In 2013, more than 360,000 people in the United States died from Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Sudden Cardiac Arrest is most often caused by an abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation (VF). Cardiac arrest can also occur after the onset of a heart attack or as a result of electrocution or near-drowning.
When sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurs, the victim suddenly collapses, becomes unresponsive to gentle shaking, stops normal breathing and may be only occasionally gasping. Immediately call 9-1-1 and provide CPR and use an AED, if one is available!
For more information on Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) or a FREE CPR training session, fill out the form below!
If you witness someone experiencing cardiac arrest first call 9-1-1 then administer CPR.
The current accepted method for untrained rescuers is “Hands Only CPR”, which involves 100 compressions per minute with no breaths. If you administer chest compressions to the beat of the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” or Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” you will achieve that rate. You should continue to do chest compressions until help arrives or the victim wakes up. It’s normal to feel pops and snaps when you first begin chest compressions, but don’t stop. You’re not going to make the victim any worse.
Thanks to the Chattanooga Fire Department for teaching us all a valuable lesson on the importance of CPR and dancing!
To learn more about online or in person CPR training fill out the form below.
Posted by Think Safe, Inc. 
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