Frequently Asked Questions about Hands Only CPR

CPR Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know if it’s primary cardiac arrest?

  • The person is fine one moment and you suddenly see or hear them collapse.
  • You then check for responsiveness by “shaking and shouting” (are you alright?) and rub the sternum with your knuckles. This helps to determine whether the person had some other reason for the event or if they are indeed in cardiac arrest. If you have no response you should assume that the person has experienced cardiac arrest.
  • Tell someone to call 911 or make the call yourself. You need to get emergency responders on their way as soon as possible.
  • Start chest compressions.

Just do your best. If you do nothing, the person is likely to die. Studies have shown that there is almost no chance that you will hurt the person. While it is rare that a rib will be broken during CPR, doctors are able to repair broken ribs, but they cannot repair death.

Is this the same as a heart attack?

No. In the case of a heart attack, blood flow through one of the coronary arteries becomes blocked. Remember, time is heart muscle. To preserve heart muscle, it’s important to understand early heart attack symptoms:

  • Chest discomfort. The discomfort lasts for more than a few minutes or it may go away and come back. The discomfort may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
  • Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. This may include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or upper stomach.
  • Shortness of breath may occur with or before chest discomfort.
  • Other symptoms may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, dizziness or light-headedness, “feeling of impending doom,” weakness/fatigue.
  • Women are different than men and not all symptoms of a heart attack are universal. Please check the following for more information:

If this happens to you or you witness someone who exhibits these signs: call 911.

Should I stop compressions if the victim gasps?

No! Gasping is a sign of cardiac arrest and often occurs for a while soon after the arrest and will continue when effective compressions are being delivered. It is NOT an indication of recovery. Continue chest compressions until paramedics arrive; gasping is a sign you are doing a good job.

What if I get tired during chest compressions?

Chest compressions are hard work and after 100 chest compressions or if you become fatigued, it is recommended that you switch chest comrpessions with someone nearby. To transfer chest compressions effectively, there must be less than a 10 second delay when trading off.

Can you damage someone’s heart if you perform CPR while it is beating?

The physicians and scientists at the Sarver Heart Center, have found that the old saying “Never perform CPR on beating heart” is not valid. According to these professionals, the chances that a bystander could harm a person by pressing on their chest are slim to none, even if the heart is working normally. Therefore, they recommend following the “Better safe than sorry” approach and begin chest compressions. It is better to perform a few unnecessary chest compressions for someone with a beating heart, rather than withhold chest compressions and circulation from someone in cardiac arrest.

Why don’t you check for a pulse?

We do NOT recommend that lay public rescuers waste time trying to assess for a palpable pulse. During Dr. Kern’s tenure as AHA National ACLS Chairman, the AHA came to the same conclusion. Public lay rescuers cannot reliably detect the absence of a pulse in a timely fashion, hence in the 2000 and 2005 AHA CPR Guidelines (Circulation 2005; 112(24): IV-3), this requirement was removed.

Studies have also shown that even if a person manages to locate the correct spot for detecting a pulse, there is a high chance that the pulse they may detect is their own, especially considering heightened stress levels in such situations. Rather than wasting time trying to detect a pulse that may or may not be the victim’s own pulse, it is better to get perfusion to the brain by continuous chest compressions.

The correct response to a witnessed cardiac arrest is to:

  • Check for responsiveness (shake and shout).
  • IF NO RESPONSE, call for help (“911”) or ask someone else to call.
  • Begin uninterrupted forceful continuous chest compressions immediately.
  • Call for an AED if one is nearby and available.

Don’t you need to check the airway first?

If you see or hear someone suddenly collapse and they did not show any sign of choking, you don’t have to worry about checking the airway. Assume it’s a sudden cardiac arrest and follow the 3 Cs: Check for responsiveness (shake and shout), Call 911 and Compress at a rate of 100 per minute, about 2 inches deep. If by some chance an object is lodged in the throat, effective compressions likely will dislodge the object, similarly to the way abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich Maneuver) dislodges objects.

Do I have to remove a person’s clothes to do Chest-Compression-Only CPR or only when using an AED?

It is not necessary to remove a patient’s clothing in order to do chest-compression-only CPR. However, if an AED is available, turn on the device and follow the instructions, which state to “remove patient’s clothing.” Defibrillator pads must be placed directly on the patient’s skin in order for the electrical current to be conducted.

How does the victim get oxygen with Chest-Compression-Only CPR?

When someone’s heart has stopped, blood is no longer circulated through the body and therefore hardly any of the oxygen in the blood is used. The person was breathing normally only seconds ago, so their blood contains enough oxygen to tide them over for several minutes. However, it is crucial to deliver blood and oxygen to the brain by performing chest compressions continuously.

Remember: Your hands become their heart and each chest compression becomes their heart beat. Performing adequate chest compressions also increases the likelihood that the patient will gasp or continue to gasp, allowing the lungs to obtain fresh oxygen.

What if the person has an ICD or a pacemaker?

Fortunately, the answer is short and simple: Don’t worry about it. If the person in cardiac arrest has an ICD, the ICD is not functioning properly, since its purpose is to PREVENT cardiac arrest from happening. Pacemakers have a different function, but the answer remains the same, continuous chest compressions should be performed. It is important to recognize that someone in cardiac arrest is either dead or will be dead unless you intervene.

What if the person recently underwent open heart surgery, couldn’t this crack the chest bone?

The key message here is that you cannot do more damage. It is important to recognize that someone in cardiac arrest is dying or will soon be dead unless you intervene. Since this person’s heart is no longer functioning properly on its own, your compressions are doing the heart’s job. Yes, if the person has had recent surgery, you might break the wires in their breast bone. However, the alternative is death.

Can I be held liable for performing Chest-Compression Only CPR?

The Good Samaritan law protects bystanders and their actions when they decide to help someone in an emergency. There is some form of the Good Samaritan Law in all states of the U.S. Chest-Compression-Only CPR and conventional CPR are both covered under the Good Samaritan Law. It does not matter whether you are certified or not but remember to always respect the patient.

Will chest compressions alone bring the person back or restart the heart?

It is highly unlikely that chest compressions alone will result in recovery. However, by maintaining uninterrupted chest compressions, you can dramatically increase the chance of survival by maintaining the patient’s heart in a state that increase the likelihood that shocks from a defibrillator, administered through bystanders using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), or administered by paramedics will result in survival.

Can this method be used in all arrests?

For unresponsiveness in young children (age 8 or under), drowning cases, or drug overdoses, follow conventional CPR guidelines (30 chest compressions followed by two mouth-to-mouth ventilations). This is because in infants or children, respiratory arrest is more common than primary cardiac arrest. However, even in these cases, Chest-Compression-Only CPR is better than doing nothing. To learn conventional CPR, a certification class is recommended.

CPR Classes in San Jose

CPR Classes in San Jose

First Support CPR and First Aid Training offers CPR Classes in San Jose California. We offer BLS Provider, First Aid, First Aid CPR AED, CPR AED and Pediatric First Aid CPR AED. Our classes are every Tuesday and Friday at 7:15 PM or if you wish, we can schedule a special class for you with a minimum of 3 persons. We are American Heart Association Authorized Training Center. After taking the CPR class, students will receive the certification card right away through email. CPR Classes take place at our own facilities rather than in the downtown area where students are required to park in the garage where they would have to pay for parking. Students shouldn’t have to pay for parking for a class that they are already paying for. Therefore parking is free when you take a CPR Class with us.

Learning how to save a life is important and everyone should know how to do it.

If you have any question, you can call us at ‪(408) 475-7724‬ or email us at info@firstsupportcpr.com

CPR training to be added to curriculum for post-primary students

The education minister has announced that post-primary pupils aged 11-14 will have access to CPR training as part of the school curriculum.

Michelle McIlveen said CPR training in school “can have a clear and measurable impact on survival rates”.

The Department of Education has written to all post-primary school principals about the move.

Training is due to become part of the curriculum from the 2022/23 academic year.

Ms McIlveen said: “CPR is a critical and potentially life-saving skill.

“In Northern Ireland there are about 1,400 cardiac arrests per year that take place outside hospital,” she added.

 

“Less than one person in 10 survives to be discharged from hospital.”

CPR training kits are available free to all eligible post-primary schools through the British Heart Foundation’s Call Push Rescue programme.

It contains a range of resources to support the teaching of CPR, including reusable inflatable manikins and practice-while you-watch DVDs.

'Improve the odds of survival'

Ms. McIlveen said she had asked curriculum and exams body CCEA and the Education Authority to work with the British Heart Foundation and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to develop guidance, resources and training to support schools.

Fearghal McKinney, head of British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland, said: “Every day in Northern Ireland people tragically die because bystanders don’t have the confidence or knowledge to perform CPR and defibrillation.

“We know that in other countries where children are taught CPR in school, cardiac arrest survival rates are higher.

 

He congratulated the education minister for taking action to ensure “every pupil will now leave post-primary school with the skills and confidence to save a life”.

“This is a significant step that promises to improve the odds of survival for countless people who have a cardiac arrest in the future.”

SDLP assembly member Colin McGrath said moves to introduce CPR training in the curriculum “will make a tangible difference to saving lives”.

He added that “a broader change to the curriculum” is needed that should “go beyond CPR and include AED (automated external defibrillator) awareness training”.

He said: “I will continue to pursue legislation at Stormont to ensure our young people are fully prepared to save lives.”

7 Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

Beware of these 7 Signs Before Heart Attack Strike

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense. But most start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Pay attention to your body if you experience some of these signs. Symptoms may vary between men and women. Here are several symptoms of health problems that people usually missed.

1. ABDOMINAL PAIN

In females, a pain in the abdomen can be easily mistaken for a cramp that usually occurs at the beginning of the period-cycle. While abdominal pain can result from several health problems, there is a specific abdomen pain that you shouldn’t ignore.

If you found yourself grappling with abdomen pain and slight heartburn, it’s time to seek out help. This type of abdomen pain could be an early sign of a heart attack. A heart attack usually occurs when a blood clot forms up in your coronary artery, causing squeezing pain in your chest and upper stomach. It might be time to seek medical help if you experience this symptom frequently.

2. LOSS OF APPETITE

Heart disease has many less common symptoms that people easily brush off, such as losing appetite and nausea. This symptom usually occurs when you feel full even if you have not eaten enough or very little. This symptom makes it harder for people who suffer from heart disease to take enough calories and nutrients.

When experiencing such symptoms, it is necessary to take several small portions of meals that are easy to digest and appealing. It could be a sign that your heart failure worsen if you experience changes in your appetite or digestion system after being diagnosed with heart disease.

3. SWELLING LEGS AND FEET

Swelling on your legs could also be an early symptom of heart disease. It is a common symptom that usually occurs amongst people with heart disease-related problems. These swollen legs and feet are caused by the accumulation of blood not flowing back to the heart. In some people, this swollen also appear on their stomach, which can also cause significant weight gain.

You can detect this symptom by feeling pain in your legs or feet and your legs becoming puffy over time. The pain caused by swollen legs usually feel better in the morning and get worse later in the day

4. RAPID WEIGHT GAIN

As well as swelling legs, heart disease can also lead to fluid build-up in the lungs, stomach, ankle, and other areas of your body. Therefore, it is better for you to keep track of your weight on a daily basis.

Besides maintaining your healthy weight , tracking your weight can help you spot early symptoms of severe health issues like heart disease. If you notice a significant weight gain of more than two or three pounds in 24 hours or gain 5 pounds in a week without a significant diet change, then it’s better to get it checked. The build-up of fluid can trigger numerous health issues, such as breathlessness if it builds up in your lungs.

5. NEEDING MORE PILLOW

People who have heart disease-related problems often found themselves breathless when resting or lying down. It’s all due to fluid that builds up in their lungs moves along with gravity. Heart disease sufferers can experience shortness of breath in several ways, including; feeling tired when you walk, found yourself wake up while sleeping because of breathlessness, and feeling tightness in the chest area.

Symptoms of shortness of breath in heart disease-symptom are often mistaken for flu or common cough. This type of breathlessness usually occurs with coughing and wheezing in the middle of the night after hours of lying down.

6. CONTINUES COUGH

Cough is one of the heart disease symptoms that are not usually discussed or taken seriously. People with persistent cough are typically diagnosed with asthma and bronchitis, but if the symptoms do not improve even after a prescription medication, it could be a symptom of heart failure.

Based on the Heart Failure Matters organization, heart failure-cough is usually thick and has a mucous-like substance that may be tinged with blood. A persistent cough caused by a weak heart causes the fluid to back up to the lungs, thus making it harder to breathe. Congestion of the lungs caused by heart failure may also cause dry, hacking cough, or wheezing.

7. DIZZINESS AND HEADACHE

Dizziness can be associated with many health problems, including heart disease. Dizziness that related to heart disease is often accompanied by a feeling of faintness and lightheadedness. It’s all due to the reduction of blood flow to the brain.

You must not ignore this symptom if you are above 40+ and it occurs frequently. This symptom also could be a sign of a heart valve condition that happens when your valve becomes narrow. Sometimes this dizziness can result in fainting and loss of consciousness, which is dangerous since it can result in injuries and bone fractures

Minutes matter. Quick action can save lives – Learn CPR.

If you know someone who experience heart attack. You should perform CPR immediately while waiting for the Medical team to arrived. If you don’t know how to perform CPR, you can contact us to schedule a CPR Training with us. Being a CPR Certified is a great plus on your skills

Benefits of being CPR Certified

Benefits of being CPR Certified

First Support CPR and First Aid Training offers Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) a lifesaving technique for emergencies like cessation of breathing or heartbeat. CPR helps blood continue flowing to the brain and other vital organs until emergency medical services arrive to provide medical care.

Approximately 350,000 cardiac arrests happens outside of hospital settings each year in the United States. Unfortunately, half of the people who experience cardiac arrests do not get CPR before an ambulance arrives. When CPR gets performed in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, this can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival.

Getting your CPR certification may help you save a life someday. We offer a blended learning CPR classes. You can take online part of the CPR class on your computer or mobile phone at your convenience before coming to our office for the Skill check class. After the class, we will send your CPR certificates directly to your email inbox. The CPR certificates is valid for 2 years and you can use it for your Job application requirements (OSHA).

We offer BLS Provider 2020, First Aid, CPR AED, First Aid CPR AED and Pediatric First Aid CPR AED.

Choosing CPR Courses Guide

Choosing CPR Courses Guide for first timer or renewal of your CPR courses. Sometimes we forget or don’t know what specific CPR course that fit’s with our daily job. Some person’s make a mistake during the booking process. They book for a wrong CPR courses and purchase a wrong online course and ended up in rescheduling because they need to get the correct online course that fits with their needs. It’s a waste of time and money for the students.

Choosing CPR Courses Guide

Here’s a list of courses that First Support CPR and First Aid Training offers and who should take the course.

BLS (Basic Life Support) Provider – nurses, nursing students, doctors, physical therapists, EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, dentists (receive CE credits) or anyone in the medical or healthcare field.

First Aid, CPR AED and First Aid CPR AED – courses are for parents, nannies, babysitters (over 10 yrs old), coaches, personal trainers (ACE, ACSM), maritime personnel, foster care, social workers, camp counselors, construction workers, & office workers.

Pediatric First Aid CPR AED – course are for child care providers who need EMSA certification as part of Title 22/AB243. State law requires child care providers to take this course once every two years. EMSA license 0204-DC.

First Support CPR and First Aid Training is an official American Heart Association training center. Classes can also be provided on site for businesses and schools. For inquiries you can call us at ‪(408) 475-7724‬ or email info@firstsupportcpr.com 

Knowing CPR are Important at the beach

Knowing CPR are Important

This week’s “Keeping You Safe” goes to the beach, where safety officials discussed flotation devices and why it’s important to know CPR.

Grand Strand Medical Center shared an eye-opening statistic released in 2019 that showed where South Carolina stands when it comes to unintentional drownings,

“We were the state with the ninth highest rate for fatal unintentional drownings,” Chrissie Catlla, injury prevention and community outreach coordinator, said. “Anyone who is not very comfortable should be in a life jacket.”

Catlla said the safest flotation device is a U.S. approved Coast Guard life jacket.

“You’ll want to make sure that all of the buckles, the snaps, the zippers are appropriately on. Then you want to test it. You’ll want to pull up on the life jacket. If it doesn’t hit the chin or the ears, then it’s an appropriate fit,” she said.

Catlla said factors that influence drowning include:

  • Lack of swimming ability
  • Failure to wear life jacket/flotation device
  • Alcohol use
  • People not watching swimmers

Catlla, a registered nurse, also showed demonstrated how to administer CPR.

 

“If someone has drowned, the first thing you want to do is that you’re going to pull them to safety,” she said. “Once you get them out, you put them on their back, open their airway by lifting their chin.”

She said the lifesaver should then check the person’s pulse. If they’re not breathing, chest compressions should begin.

“You use two hands in the center of their chest and you pump their chest,” Catlla said.

It’s 100 compressions per minute, 30 times. Then, tilt the person’s chin backwards and give two breaths. CPR should continue until EMS arrives.

“If you’re going to be around open bodies of water, knowing CPR is one of the best ways we can help save lives,” Catlla said.

First Support CPR and First Aid Training offer CPR classes every Tuesday and Friday at 7:15 PM. You can also schedule a special class during weekdays with a minimum of 3 person’s and a maximum of 6 person’s per class. For more information, you can call us at ‪(408) 475-7724‬ or email us at info@firstsupportcpr.com

Modified Two-Rescuer CPR With a Two-Handed Mask-Face Seal Technique is Better than the Conventional Two-Rescuer CPR With a One-Handed Mask-Face Seal Technique

Bag-valve-mask (BVM)

Background

A Bag-valve-mask (BVM) ventilation using a two-handed mask–face seal has been shown to be better than the one-handed mask–face seal during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Objective

To compare CPR quality metrics during simulation-based two-rescuer CPR with a modified two-handed mask–face seal technique and two-rescuer CPR with the conventional one-handed mask–face seal technique.

Methods

Participants performed two-rescuer CPR on a simulation manikin and alternated between the modified and conventional CPR methods. For the modified method, the first rescuer performed chest compressions and thereafter squeezed the BVM resuscitator bag during the ventilatory pause, while the second rescuer created a two-handed mask–face seal. For the conventional method, the first rescuer performed chest compressions and the second rescuer thereafter delivered rescue breaths by creating a mask–face seal with one hand and squeezing the BVM resuscitator bag with the other hand.

Results

Among the 40 participants that were enrolled, the mean ± standard deviation (SD) delivered respiratory volume was significantly higher for the modified two-rescuer method (319.4 ± 71.4 mL vs. 190.2 ± 50.5 mL; p < 0.0001). There were no statistically significant differences between the two methods with regard to mean ± SD compression rate (117.05 ± 9.67 compressions/min vs. 118.08 ± 10.99 compressions/min; p = 0.477), compression depth (52.80 ± 5.57 mm vs. 52.77 ± 6.77 mm; p = 0.980), chest compression fraction (75.92% ± 2.14% vs. 76.57% ± 2.57%; p = 0.186), and ventilatory pause time (4.62 ± 0.64 s vs. 4.56 ± 0.43 s; p = 0.288).

Conclusions

With minor modifications to the conventional method of simulated two-rescuer CPR, rescuers can deliver significantly higher volumes of rescue breaths without compromising the quality of chest compressions.

31
May, 2021
Broken Ribs during CPR

Broken Ribs During CPR

Broken Ribs during CPR

Broken Ribs During CPR – Being CPR Certified is different to actually apply in real life situation. One of the biggest concerns in performing CPR for the first time  is whether or not you will accidentally break a patient ribs or other bones. Applying pressure to the rib area while performing the necessary chest compressions can can cause injuries. Because of this risk, many students learning CPR hesitate to apply their CPR Skills.

In order for CPR to be effective (in adult patients), chest compressions need to be performed at a depth of approximately 2 inches (5.08 cm) in depth. Shallow compressions will not sufficiently circulate the blood around the body. Compressing the human chest by that much, requires a significant amount of force. Giving this amount of force, we can easily understand how and why ribs may break in the process of performing CPR. Approximately 30% of patients receiving CPR suffer rib fractures or bone breaks. Those numbers may actually be higher.

The study analyzed autopsy data from more than 2,000 patients who had received CPR for cardiac

  • 86% of men and 91% of women presented with skeletal chest injuries
  • 59% of those men and 79% of those women had fractures of the sternum
  • 77% of those men and 85% of those women had fractures of the ribs
  • 33% of those men and 12% of those women had sternocostal separation

As you can see, a significant portion of patients had suffered from some type of Broken Ribs During CPR or fracture.

When you perform resuscitation on a patient, high chances of injury may occur.

Who is most at risk of breaking the ribs during CPR?

Base on the data provided from the above referenced study shows that women are more likely than men to experience injuries or Broken Ribs During CPR.

The study also found that older patients tend to be more at risk of CPR-related injury than those who are younger.

Also, the presence of certain existing health conditions, such as osteoporosis, which causes a weakening of the bones, can also increase the risk of skeletal injury.

Patients who are physically large, particularly those who are fat are much less likely to suffer broken bones due to CPR than those with smaller frames.

Another study performed in Korea revealed that patients receiving CPR from a bystander are more likely to suffer chest injuries than individuals who receive CPR from a trained professional, such as a doctor or a paramedic.

So, the good news is, if you are properly educated on how to correctly deliver effective chest compressions, your risk of injuring someone in the process may be lower.

Risk of injury also goes up based on the size and strength of the individual performing CPR as well.

Generally speaking, men tend to cause more rib fractures and breaks due to the fact that they tend to have more upper body strength than women. Of course, this is not always the caseb

What should you do if you hear (or feel) a bone crack during CPR?

In the event that a person on whom you are performing CPR  experience a broken or fractured bone, you may hear a cracking sound.

At the very least, you’ll probably feel something crack or give way under your hands.

This is not always indicate of an actual bone break.

The initial sound or feeling of cracking can often be attributed to the cartilage in the ribs or sternum breaking, as opposed to the ribs themselves.

it is not advisable to stop performing CPR even if you hear a cracking sound or think you feel a rib break.

It is true that broken bones can be painful and may extend a person’s recovery time, stopping resuscitation efforts could result death into patient.

A patient who survived as a result of CPR would be happy even the patient suffer a broken bone. Thanks to the resuscitator’s quick response.

Don’t be afraid to perform CPR

You should never should never be afraid of breaking someone’s ribs or causing other injuries during the life-saving efforts.

Broken bones and injuries heal, but death is forever.

Most states have laws that protect people who deliver CPR in good faith.

That means even in the unlikely event that someone were to try and sue, you would be protected.

The fact is, CPR is a vigorous and sometimes brutal procedure.

There will always be a risk that the person who receive CPR become injured during the process.

However, if the person you assist is lucky enough to survive, you can expect a heartfelt thank you for the broken ribs.

21
May, 2021
heart attack cardiac arrest

Heart Attack Cardiac Arrest What are the Difference?

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack occurs when a blocked artery prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching a section of the heart. If the blocked artery is not reopened quickly, the part of the heart normally nourished by that artery begins to die. The longer a person goes without treatment, the greater the damage.

Symptoms of a heart attack may be immediate and intense. More often, though, symptoms start slowly and persist for hours, days or weeks before a heart attack. Unlike with sudden cardiac arrest, the heart usually does not stop beating during a heart attack. The heart attack symptoms in women can be different than men.

heart attack cardiac arrest

What to do: Heart Attack

Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, call 911 or your emergency response number. Every minute matters! It’s best to call EMS to get to the emergency room right away. Emergency medical services staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. EMS staff are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. Patients with chest pain who arrive by ambulance usually receive faster treatment at the hospital, too.

What is cardiac arrest?

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs suddenly and often without warning. It is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). With its pumping action disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs and other organs. Seconds later, a person loses consciousness and has no pulse. Death occurs within minutes if the victim does not receive treatment. 

What to do: Cardiac Arrest

Cardiac arrest is reversible in most victims if it’s treated within a few minutes. First, call 911 for emergency medical services. Then get an automated external defibrillator if one is available and use it as soon as it arrives. Begin CPR immediately and continue until professional emergency medical services arrive. If two people are available to help, one should begin CPR immediately while the other calls 911 and finds an AED.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death – over 320,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States. By performing Hands-Only CPR to the beat of the classic disco song “Stayin’ Alive,” you can double or even triple a victim’s chance of survival.

What is the link?

These two distinct heart conditions are linked. Sudden cardiac arrest can occur after a heart attack, or during recovery.  Heart attacks increase the risk for sudden cardiac arrest. Most heart attacks do not lead to sudden cardiac arrest. But when sudden cardiac arrest occurs, heart attack is a common cause. Other heart conditions may also disrupt the heart’s rhythm and lead to sudden cardiac arrest. These include a thickened heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), heart failure, arrhythmias, particularly ventricular fibrillation, and long Q-T syndrome.

Fast action can save lives. Perform Hands only CPR if someone experiences a heart attack or cardiac arrest.