Information taken from the American Heart Association:
The lifesaving skill for victims of sudden cardiac arrest that is now known collectively as Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation or CPR turns 50 years old.
“EMS treats nearly 300,000 victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year in the U.S. and less than eight percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive,” said Stacy Sawyer, Director of Communications for the American Heart Association. “Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival. Imagine a day in the future where everyone knows the effective CPR techniques and what a boost that would be to survival rates in this country.”
Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time. Many victims appear healthy with no known heart disease or other risk factors. Sudden cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when electrical impulses in the heart become rapid or chaotic, which causes the heart to suddenly stop beating. A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is blocked. A heart attack may cause cardiac arrest.
Less than one-third of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR. The most effective rate for chest compressions is 100 compressions per minute – the same rhythm as the beat of the BeeGee’s song, “Stayin’ Alive.” But CPR alone is not enough.
Click on the above video clip. NBC25's Elizabeth MacFarland introduces you to a woman who saved her husband's life by performing CPR.
