About Hands-Only CPR
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death. Each year, more than 350,000 EMS-assessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States. When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby.
According to the American Heart Association, about 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.
Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective in the first few minutes as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest at home, at work, or in public.
Hands-Only CPR has just two easy steps, performed in this order:
1. Call 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse.
2. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a familiar song that has 100 to 120 beats per minute.
Song examples include “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. 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.
About AEDs
An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a lightweight, portable device that can be found in public places. It delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart when it detects an abnormal rhythm and changes the rhythm back to normal.
AEDs save lives. They are an important part of responding to a cardiac arrest. A person’s chance of surviving drops by 7% to 10% every minute a normal heartbeat isn’t restored. So, immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation, also known as CPR, and AED use can double, or even triple, the person’s chance of survival. CPR combined with using an AED provides the best chance of saving a life. If possible, use an AED every time you provide CPR.
Your chance of survival while waiting for emergency medical services during a cardiac emergency decreases by 10% every minute without CPR.
Of the people with cardiac arrest who receive a shock from an AED in the first minute, 9 out of 10 live.