National CPR and AED Awareness Week Even More Relevant During Covid-19 Pandemic
Each year, June 1-7 is designated as National CPR and AED Awareness Week and this year, the significance is especially striking. More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States each year. Fortunately, Hands-Only CPR can be performed by bystanders to increase the likelihood of survival.
“Rather than waiting for first responders to arrive, performing immediate CPR in the case of cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim's odds of survival,” said Emily Fuller, Executive Director of the American Heart Association. “If you are willing and able to do CPR, you should, it could save someone’s life.”
In 2018, the Hamilton County Emergency Communications District, CHI Memorial, Parkridge Health System and The American Heart Association joined together to bring PulsePoint of Hamilton County, an initiative that proponents say will ultimately save lives in the community, to our area.
PulsePoint of Hamilton County is a free mobile app that alerts registered users whenever a cardiac arrest occurs in a public place in their immediate vicinity. Informed at the same time as emergency responders, bystanders are given detailed instructions, including the location of the nearest automatic external defibrillator (AED), and can begin Hands-Only CPR until responders arrive.
People feel more confident performing Hands-Only CPR and are more likely to remember the correct rate when trained to the beat of a familiar song. Rescuers should push on the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 beats per minute and the American Heart Association advises following the beat of any of several songs including “Stayin’ Alive,” by the Bee Gees, “Crazy in Love,” by Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, “Hips Don’t Lie,” by Shakira” or “Walk the Line,” by Johnny Cash.