World Restart a Heart Day Highlights CPR Safety

(NewsUSA) - If you witness someone going into cardiac arrest, don't be afraid to act, especially because that person may be someone you know in a familiar setting.

According to the American Heart Association, 70 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home, but often family and friends who witness someone going into cardiac arrest hesitate to perform potentially lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for fear of making the situation worse.

However, CPR can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim's chances of survival if performed immediately, according to the American Heart Association. In fact, the Hands-Only CPR technique recommended by the American Heart Association can save lives and does not require the mouth-to-mouth breathing that many people associate with CPR.

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation or ILCOR's World Restart a Heart Day, October 16, is a global initiative to raise awareness of the effectiveness of bystander CPR and educate more people about Hands-Only CPR, which is especially important in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The American Heart Association's Hands-Only CPR campaign is nationally supported by the Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm of healthcare organization Anthem, Inc.

"The Anthem Foundation and the American Heart Association share a commitment to remain focused on helping to improve health equity for all," says Razia Hashmi, MD, MPH, vice president for Commercial Clinical Operations at Anthem. "By providing greater access to Hands-Only CPR training, we can help increase the number of people who are prepared to respond in case of an emergency and improve the chances of survival for someone suffering cardiac arrest."

Hands-Only CPR includes just two simple steps.

- First, call 911.

- Second, push hard and fast in the center of the chest of the individual having a cardiac arrest. How fast to push? That's easy. Use the beat of a familiar song that has 100 to 120 beats per minute. For example, the classic disco hit, "Stayin' Alive," can help you stay on pace, but anything with a similar tempo will do.

Raising awareness about Hands-Only CPR is especially important in Black and Hispanic communities, where individuals are at least twice as likely to have a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, according to the American Heart Association.

The organization offers a livestream video demonstration of Hands-Only CPR, as well as a new CPR first-aid app that anyone can download onto a phone.

Visit heart.org for the most up-to-date information on heart health and World Restart a Heart Day.