Did you know that dedicating one minute of your time could help save a life? That is all it will take. One minute. Sixty seconds. You will spend more time than that today deciding what to have for lunch or discussing your review of Pitch Perfect 2 around the water cooler.
Hands-Only CPR has two steps that can be learned in one minute. If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, (1) call 9-1-1, and (2) push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the disco song "Stayin' Alive."
Hands-Only CPR keeps blood pumping through the heart when the heart isn't effectively pumping blood throughout the body and brain on its own. It can help revived the heart and lungs and potentially prevent severe brain damage or death.
Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR and if it is performed immediately, it can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival. I would not be writing this if it weren't for the Hands-Only CPR my husband performed when I collapsed at home from cardiac arrest on Mother's Day 2014. He was able to keep blood flowing through my body until Emergency Medical Services (EMS) arrived.
The American Heart Association's new video demonstrating Hands-Only CPR has been launched in celebration of EMS Awareness Week (May 17-23) honoring the men and women who are dedicated to saving lives with CPR every day. EMS professionals may not be the first able to respond to emergency situations, so the more people in the community who learn Hands-Only CPR, the more lives they can help to save! The new video demonstrates Hands-Only CPR featuring Street Corner Symphony performing "Stayin' Alive" a cappella, showing that you don't need to hear the music playing to #KeepTheBeat.
Wouldn't you be willing to spend one minute of your time to save the life of someone you know? With over 326,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring every year in the United States and 70 percent of those happening in homes and residential settings, the first responder to a victim might have to be a friend or loved one. According to the American Heart Association, 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die.
The familiar Bee Gees song "Stayin' Alive" is the perfect song to remember when it comes to Hands-Only CPR. Pushing on the chest should occur at a rate of at least 100 compressions per minute. The beat of this iconic song is a perfect match to achieve this goal and #KeepTheBeat. And yes, you are welcome for this earworm!
Please, dedicate one minute of your time today in honor of those you love and then share it with those who love you! Together, learning #HandsOnlyCPR and being able to #KeepTheBeat, we will save lives!
To learn more about the Hands-Only CPR campaign and learn how to save a life, visit www.heart.org/handsonlycpr.