Learning this one skill could save a life, AHA says
JACKSON, Tenn. — CPR is a really important part of helping someone survive a cardiac arrest event, which is when someone’s heart completely stops.
According to Dr. Comilla Sasson, the Vice President for Science and Innovation for Emergency Vascular Care at the American Heart Association, providing CPR immediately might double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
In the US, Comilla said that about 350,000 people every year will have a sudden cardiac arrest event outside of the hospital, but less than half of those people will have CPR performed by a bystander.
“And that’s why the American Heart Association is here during National CPR Week — June 1 through the 7th — to build a nation of lifesavers,” Sasson said.
Comilla expressed that the first steps of CPR are really the most important.
“And that is first just recognizing that someone has had a cardiac arrest event, second calling 911 immediately and getting EMS there, third is starting chest compressions immediately and sending someone to get an AED. Those simple actions in those first few minutes are what are critical in terms of us saving more lives,” Sasson said.
Sasson explained the most important techniques for using CPR on infants, children, and drowning victims.
“This is the summer right now, and drowning is actually one of the leading causes of death for kids. They are most likely to have their hearts stop because they have stopped breathing. That’s why it’s really important for people to do CPR with breaths. That’s compression and breaths, especially for children and infants,” Sasson said.
And skills you learn could save a life the next day!
SEE ALSO: Teen saves friends life with CPR skills learned the day before
For more information on CPR and how to learn it, you can visit cpr.heart.org. You can also find a CPR class near you here.
You can also find online classes here.
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