Help! Save a life - learn hands-only CPR

[bae]

Summary: Please learn hands-only CPR, and don't be afraid to leap in and help. It makes a huge difference.

I just got back from the Resuscitation Academy. http://www.resuscitationacademy.com/

We were trained in the latest science and procedures, and spent a lot of time looking at the *process*, from initial 911 call to release from hospital.

One thing really stood out to me - bystander CPR more than *doubles* the cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival. *Doubles*!

It's the single biggest improvement that can be made - today less than 1/3 of victims receive CPR before EMTs arrive on the scene. At that point, frankly, a lot of damage has been done, and the chances of survival are pretty low.

0% survival rate in Detroit, for instance. Chicago 3%. LA 7%. Seattle is nearly 60%, because of a very leading-edge set of improvements to the whole process. So a lot of people can be saved, if we improve our act.

If *you* are willing to help out. You don't need to do mouth-to-mouth. Just simple compressions, hard and fast, until help arrives. You'll give the victim a hugely improved chance of life and a positive neurological outcome.

It is so easy to do you can learn in *minutes*.

The British Heart Institute put out a great video with essentially the method, just do this. Please!

I know several people alive today because their spouse jumped in and Did The Right Thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILxjxfB4zNk

[Lainey]

Very good reminder. And the fact that it's been recommended to time your compressions to the beat of the Bee Gee's song "Stayin Alive" just makes it that much more easier to do!

But when I took Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) years ago, I remember the firefighter/instructor telling us sadly that much of the time when they arrive on-scene to a public area with a person in medical crisis on the ground, bystanders are taking pictures and videos with their cell phones instead of helping the person in distress! What the ?

[Jilly]

Will do.

[peggy]

Good advise. And folks who might have hesitated before because of the 'mouth breathing' part should review the new guidelines. I think if more were aware of this it might make it easier to jump in and help.
Do you all go to the schools and demonstrate with an 'Annie'? I think churches would be another good place to demonstrate. Captive audience so to speak...

[CathyA]

I'm really glad to hear that you can use hands only. Nobody wants to do mouth-to-mouth on a stranger. I've done more CPR than I care to remember, but fortunately, it was where I could use an ambu bag or the patient was immediately intubated. I always thought blowing so much CO2 into a person wasn't the greatest thing to do.
I think just making sure the arrested person has an open airway and can passively suck air in when the lungs get compressed is helpful. Really good to hear that compressions alone are good.