As most Americans continue to spend more of their time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the odds of cardiac arrests in a home setting are likely to increase, according to the American Heart Association.
“As more people get out and begin to enjoy the summer, the American Heart Association’s efforts to raise awareness and train people in hands-only CPR takes on added importance,” said Aaron Lambert, president of Healthy Blue and a board member of the local chapter of the American Heart Association. “We share their goal of promoting health and wellness and empowering our communities to learn this life-saving technique.”
Hands-only CPR involves two simple steps and anyone can learn it from a 90-second video available at heart.org/handsonlycpr. They are:
Step 1: If a teen or adult in your home suddenly collapses, call 911 immediately.
Step 2: Place one hand on top of the other as shown in the video and push hard and fast on the victim’s chest.
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.
Take advantage of shelter-in-place time and brush up on your hands-only CPR skills; they might save someone you love. Visit heart.org/handsonlycpr to watch and share the hands-only CPR instructional video.