CPR FACTS Posted on July 11, 2011 by CPR Northwest
CPR & Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Fact Sheet
As of April 26, 2010
Sudden Cardiac Arrest
About 5,800 children 18 years old and under suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year from all causes – including trauma, cardiovascular causes and sudden infant death syndrome.
CPR & Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Fact Sheet
As of April 26, 2010
Sudden Cardiac Arrest
- EMS treats nearly 300,000 victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year in the U.S.
- Less than eight percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive.
- Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time. Many victims appear healthy with no known heart disease or other risk factors.
- Sudden cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when electrical impulses in the heart become rapid or chaotic, which causes the heart to suddenly stop beating. A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is blocked. A heart attack may cause cardiac arrest.
- Less than one-third of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR.
- Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest, can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.
- The American Heart Association trains more than 12 million people in CPR annually, including healthcare professionals and the general public.
- The most effective rate for chest compressions is 100 compressions per minute – the same rhythm as the beat of the BeeGee’s song, “Stayin’ Alive.”
- Unless CPR and defibrillation are provided within minutes of collapse, few attempts at resuscitation are successful.
- Even if CPR is performed, defibrillation with an AED is required to stop the abnormal rhythm and restore a normal heart rhythm.
- New technology has made AEDs simple and user-friendly. Clear audio and visual cues tell users what to do when using an AED and coach people through CPR. A shock is delivered only if the victim needs it.
- AEDs are now widely available in public places such as schools, airports and workplaces.
About 5,800 children 18 years old and under suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year from all causes – including trauma, cardiovascular causes and sudden infant death syndrome.
- The incidence of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest in high school athletes ranges from .28 to 1 death per 100,000 high school athletes annually in the U.S.
- The American Heart Association does not have a minimum age requirement for people to learn CPR. The ability to perform CPR is based more on body strength rather than age.
- Studies have shown that children as young as 9 years old can learn and retain CPR skills.
Email: info@cprnorthwest.com
Maybe I just don't get it. I must get asked daily if it is true we don't have to give breaths and can just do Hand Only CPR? My standard answer has been NO! I say NO, again. Just when I think the situation is put to rest so I can get on with teaching The American Heart Association releases a marketing piece promoting a "hands only CPR" Kit. Let me show you what AHA released just a few weeks ago as it pertains to "hands only CPR".
It states, "If a bystander is not trained in CPR, the bystander should provide Hands-Only™ (compression-only) CPR for the adult victim who suddenly collapses, with an emphasis to “push hard and fast” on the center of the chest, or follow the directions of the EMS dispatcher. All trained lay rescuers should, at a minimum, provide chest compressions for victims of cardiac arrest. In addition, if the trained lay rescuer is able to perform rescue breaths, compressions and breaths should be provided in a ratio of 30 compressions to 2 breaths."
They go on to clarify, "Hands-Only (compression-only) CPR is easier for an untrained rescuer to perform and can be more readily guided by dispatchers over the telephone. However, for the trained lay rescuer who is able, the recommendation remains for the rescuer to perform both compressions and ventilation's."
Though an argument can be made that some CPR is better than no CPR, There are many more considerations to be made. Such as, is the victim an adult or under age 8? Is this a drowning victim? Is this an unwitnessed or witnessed cardiac arrest. Much more to consider.
Though Scottsdale Arizona Fire Department has seen an increase of success when hands only is applied, one must consider that they are physically more able to withstand the vigor's of hands only.
It is still my opinion that more discussion needs to take place and analysis made of the results for hands only. Hands only assumes you can do chest compressions at 100 plus rate for a long period of time. The two breaths would at least allow the rescuer time to relax their arms, take their own breaths and to prepare for yet another 30 compressions.
In Joyce on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State a Man (age 60) died giving CPR to his wife (age 59). They lived 16 miles east of Port Angeles, WA. I wonder if he was giving breaths or just giving "Hands Only" CPR? The article doesn't say, but I imagine the Ambulance took more than 10 minutes to arrive. This emphasizes that CPR is a physical activity, I question if any one can do CPR without breaths at 100 beats per minute for very long.
Just Think About it.
(http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/local news/2014597621_cpr26m.html?syndication n=rss)
It states, "If a bystander is not trained in CPR, the bystander should provide Hands-Only™ (compression-only) CPR for the adult victim who suddenly collapses, with an emphasis to “push hard and fast” on the center of the chest, or follow the directions of the EMS dispatcher. All trained lay rescuers should, at a minimum, provide chest compressions for victims of cardiac arrest. In addition, if the trained lay rescuer is able to perform rescue breaths, compressions and breaths should be provided in a ratio of 30 compressions to 2 breaths."
They go on to clarify, "Hands-Only (compression-only) CPR is easier for an untrained rescuer to perform and can be more readily guided by dispatchers over the telephone. However, for the trained lay rescuer who is able, the recommendation remains for the rescuer to perform both compressions and ventilation's."
Though an argument can be made that some CPR is better than no CPR, There are many more considerations to be made. Such as, is the victim an adult or under age 8? Is this a drowning victim? Is this an unwitnessed or witnessed cardiac arrest. Much more to consider.
Though Scottsdale Arizona Fire Department has seen an increase of success when hands only is applied, one must consider that they are physically more able to withstand the vigor's of hands only.
It is still my opinion that more discussion needs to take place and analysis made of the results for hands only. Hands only assumes you can do chest compressions at 100 plus rate for a long period of time. The two breaths would at least allow the rescuer time to relax their arms, take their own breaths and to prepare for yet another 30 compressions.
In Joyce on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State a Man (age 60) died giving CPR to his wife (age 59). They lived 16 miles east of Port Angeles, WA. I wonder if he was giving breaths or just giving "Hands Only" CPR? The article doesn't say, but I imagine the Ambulance took more than 10 minutes to arrive. This emphasizes that CPR is a physical activity, I question if any one can do CPR without breaths at 100 beats per minute for very long.
Just Think About it.
(http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/local news/2014597621_cpr26m.html?syndication n=rss)
The Riverdale Press
November 4, 2010 Teacher saves dying student with CPR By Nikki Dowling A Riverdale resident and former John F. Kennedy teacher and coach saved a student’s life at Lincoln High School in Yonkers, N.Y. on Oct. 27.
Charles Hill, an earth science teacher at the school who coached basketball, soccer and baseball at Kennedy until about four years ago, said he entered the gym where students were playing basketball after school to see an 11th-grade male student lying on the floor.
“I went over and checked his vitals. He continued to breathe but it was still a labored breathing and he passed out and he stopped breathing. I shook him and spoke to him and then he came back,” Mr. Hill, 51, said in a phone interview on Oct. 29.
Then, the teacher said the student stopped breathing again. And this time, he had no pulse.
Mr. Hill said he called for a defibrillator and immediately began CPR. He was able to partially revive the student but said his eyes were still unfocused and he was not fully conscious. To keep him from choking, Mr. Hill said he rolled the student onto his side.
An ambulance arrived several minutes later and it was only then that Mr. Hill said he fully grasped what had happened.
“It wasn’t until afterwards — when the ETS workers had come in and they took over — that I … got nervous. I realized I was the difference between him living and maybe dying,” Mr. Hill said.
Mr. Hill said he has been a coach since 1971, and had never dealt with a situation where someone’s heart stopped. He said there were about 40 to 50 students in the gym, plus a coach and another teacher.
“People react differently under pressure and I’m the one that responded,” he said.
When he returned to school, Mr. Hill said the administrators at the school did not thank him but teachers, as well as the boy’s girlfriend, expressed their gratitude.
“The nicest thing was today [Oct. 29] the boy’s girlfriend came up to me and grabbed me by the hand with tears in her eyes and thanked me,” Mr. Hill recalled.
Although the student was still in the hospital on Oct. 29, Mr. Hill said he was recovering and undergoing tests to determine the cause of the incident.
November 4, 2010 Teacher saves dying student with CPR By Nikki Dowling A Riverdale resident and former John F. Kennedy teacher and coach saved a student’s life at Lincoln High School in Yonkers, N.Y. on Oct. 27.
Charles Hill, an earth science teacher at the school who coached basketball, soccer and baseball at Kennedy until about four years ago, said he entered the gym where students were playing basketball after school to see an 11th-grade male student lying on the floor.
“I went over and checked his vitals. He continued to breathe but it was still a labored breathing and he passed out and he stopped breathing. I shook him and spoke to him and then he came back,” Mr. Hill, 51, said in a phone interview on Oct. 29.
Then, the teacher said the student stopped breathing again. And this time, he had no pulse.
Mr. Hill said he called for a defibrillator and immediately began CPR. He was able to partially revive the student but said his eyes were still unfocused and he was not fully conscious. To keep him from choking, Mr. Hill said he rolled the student onto his side.
An ambulance arrived several minutes later and it was only then that Mr. Hill said he fully grasped what had happened.
“It wasn’t until afterwards — when the ETS workers had come in and they took over — that I … got nervous. I realized I was the difference between him living and maybe dying,” Mr. Hill said.
Mr. Hill said he has been a coach since 1971, and had never dealt with a situation where someone’s heart stopped. He said there were about 40 to 50 students in the gym, plus a coach and another teacher.
“People react differently under pressure and I’m the one that responded,” he said.
When he returned to school, Mr. Hill said the administrators at the school did not thank him but teachers, as well as the boy’s girlfriend, expressed their gratitude.
“The nicest thing was today [Oct. 29] the boy’s girlfriend came up to me and grabbed me by the hand with tears in her eyes and thanked me,” Mr. Hill recalled.
Although the student was still in the hospital on Oct. 29, Mr. Hill said he was recovering and undergoing tests to determine the cause of the incident.
First U.S. In-Flight AED Save Michael Tighe, 62, and his wife Delores were headed to sunny California from their native Boston on an American Airlines flight. Delores was scheduled to attend a nursing convention and both planned on visiting with one of their four daughters. Their travels took a dramatic turn and, lucky for the Tighes, the airline was prepared. "I really don't remember any of it. I was watching the movie and I passed out," says Michael. He collapsed in his seat, one arm falling to the side. Delores knew by the way that his arm dangled that something was wrong. It was obvious Michael had stopped breathing and Delores couldn't get a pulse. She immediately began performing CPR. "Then the flight attendant was there," Delores said, "with this box." As the flight crew and Delores attempted to move Michael to the floor, nearby passengers also offered to help. The flight crew attached the pads of the automated external defibrillator (AED) to Michael's torso. The AED detected a shockable rhythm and verbally instructed the responders to press the shock button. After administering five shocks, Michael began breathing again. Michael Tighe became the first person to be saved in-flight from sudden cardiac arrest. The lifesaving AED had been installed only three days earlier. The Tighes are very familiar with defibrillators and how they can save victims who suffer from sudden cardiac arrest. In fact, Michael, who is community affairs director for the Boston Public Health Commission, has played a key role in driving the city's efforts to place AEDs in public locations such as office buildings, hotels, malls, and sports arenas. Today, his campaigning takes on a new meaning - his pitch truly comes from the heart. Michael is outspoken when it comes to having AEDs on planes. "It's very gratifying that somewhere, someone convinced American Airlines to put them in. Because someone convinced the airline, I'm alive today."
Call 9-1-1! A Mother Uses Infant CPR to Save Her Son
Three pounds, 11 ounces. That's all Nathan weighed when he came into this world. He was the first child of Niki and Gil Maroko. After more than five weeks in the hospital, he came home with his mother and father. But the scares were not over yet. Six days later, Nathan--who was born nine weeks and two days premature--stopped breathing. The Marokos were at Niki's parent's house, relaxing in front of the TV after a home-cooked meal, when it happened.
Niki wrote this story the following day. The former English major who often writes about things in her life--including her earlier miscarriage--says, "I do it for myself. It's my own personal therapy. I also think women need to communicate more with each other about personal matters--real life."
Last night, during nursing, my six-week-old son Nathan made a sputtering sound and let go of me. I figured he was done so I put myself back together and looked down at him. His lips were blue and he didn't look right. I picked him up and put him in an upright position. "He's not breathing! He's not breathing!" I called out to my husband and parents.
He had choked before while drinking a bottle at the hospital, prior to his discharge. The nurse who was there just touched his cheek and he was fine. I remember asking what to do if that didn't work and she had told me to stimulate his back. So I touched Nathan's face and rubbed his back, but he didn't respond. His whole face was turning blue so I called out to my husband and parents: "Call 9-1-1! Call 9-1-1!"
His eyes were glassy and unresponsive
My husband told me to do CPR. I placed Nathan on the couch next to me. He was limp and his whole head was blue. His eyes were slightly open, but they were glossy and unresponsive. All I could think of was, "My baby is dying right in front of me!"
I checked Nathan's breathing. I couldn't see any movement or feel any breath. I kneeled over him and gave him two breaths, placing my mouth over both his nose and mouth. My CPR training was echoing in my head. I couldn't see whether he was breathing, so I unsnapped his clothes to get a better view of his chest. I tilted his head back to open the airway. I tried two breaths again. I still couldn't see if he was getting any air. His whole head was blue and he was completely limp, like a rag doll.
I could hear my mom on the phone with 9-1-1. She told me to get him on the floor. I picked Nathan up, stumbled and fell to my knees before placing him on the carpet. I couldn't see.
My whole body was pumping with fear and adrenaline
I kept calling out for somebody to turn on the lights. The light came on. My mom was right there on the phone telling me to check for breathing again. And was husband was right there telling me, "Keep going! Keep going!" (I found out later than my step-dad had gone outside to meet the emergency crew.)
I could hear a siren in the distance and that eased my mind a bit. My whole body was pumping with fear and adrenaline. It was like a dream.
I flipped him over and gave him another set of back blows
I checked Nathan's breathing again. It sounded faint--like something was blocking it. I turned him over in my arms and gave him about five back blows. I checked his breathing again and it was still stuck. So I flipped him over again and gave him another set of back blows. I remember thinking, "How do I do chest compressions? He's so tiny!" He spit up and turned his head to the side. I checked his breathing again and it sounded clear. Color was returning to his face, but he still looked gray.
Help arrived in less than six minutes
I heard somebody open the front door. Nathan was breathing and moving around on the floor. Two large firemen came in with what looked like black first-aid kits. I later found out they arrived in less than six minutes, although it seemed like an eternity. They saw the baby lying on the floor and looked very serious and concerned. As soon as they saw that he was breathing, they relaxed and asked us what happened. They held an oxygen mask over Nathan's face not touching, but close so he wouldn't have to work so hard.
Then three paramedics arrived. After assessing the situation, they asked me to pick him up and carry him to the ambulance. They asked me where he was born and whether I wanted to return there. Nathan was crying and I just remember telling him to keep crying.
Nathan spent five days at the hospital before returning home again. He hasn't had any further difficulties with his breathing. At his five-month-old check-up, he weighed 12 pounds, 4 ounces. "He's doing great," says Niki.
"What happened to us was a parent's nightmare," she continues. "I'm glad I had taken infant CPR--actually several times, including once after Nathan was born. I still had moments of panic and there were still moments when I asked myself, 'What do I do now?' but my husband was there coaching me and so was my mom. I wouldn't wish this on anyone, but I urge everybody to sign up for CPR classes. I'm thinking I may have saved my baby's life."
Pianist Saved at Utah Ski Resort "A lot of people say, 'Hey, you were lucky,' says Luis Chavez. "I say to them, 'You are wrong...Are you going to tell me that was luck?' I was blessed." Luis Chavez, a retired engineer and practicing musician, was preparing for his audition at Sundance Ski Resort in Utah. The 70-year-old Luis was moving equipment into the restaurant when his heart went into cardiac arrest, causing him to fall and strike his head. Fortunately for Luis, two cardiologists were eating at the restaurant that evening and immediately started CPR, but Luis did not respond. Four minutes later, two of the resort's safety officers, Kenneth Johnson and Brian Martin, arrived with an automated external defibrillator (AED). After the pads were placed on Chavez, the AED detected a shockable rhythm and verbally instructed the responders to press the shock button. Three shocks were administered before Luis's heart returned to a normal rhythm. An ambulance arrived soon after. The Sundance Ski Resort, a remote winter and summer resort in Provo Canyon, Utah, only recently had acquired the AED. Ralph Derico, Orem City Public Safety Officer, loaned the unit to the resort to help with medical emergencies since the resort is 20-30 minutes away from medical help. The resort's medical technicians were trained, and someone trained in AED use is on duty at all times. Luis Chavez was the first person to be saved by the device. "It is very evident," says Corey Child, Public Safety Director for the resort, "that if the automatic defibrillator had not been in use, Mr. Chavez would not be here today."
Trained Officers at Airport Save 49-Year Old Man Trained airport officials saved a man who suffered from sudden cardiac arrest at the T.F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island. 49-year-old Frederick Snedecor of Cocoa Beach, Florida was found unconscious in a wheelchair by a Southwest Airlines skycap, who immediately notified Officer Michael Mefford, of the airport's police force. Mefford and a passerby immediately began CPR on Snedecor while Mefford radioed for the automated external defibrillator (AED) to be brought to the location. Once the AED was in position and the pads were placed on Snedecor's chest, Mefford shocked Snedecor twice and he then began breathing on his own. According to the Providence Journal, this was the first time the airport's AED saved a life, and the fourth time that someone was saved by an AED in the state of Rhode Island. Snedecor was taken to a local hospital where he became conscious and alert. He is alive today thanks to the AED and the officer who used the device.
Elderly Lady Saved by Bystanders and Nearby Fire Station Helen M. is one of those i
nspirational ladies who enjoys every single day and is a delight to each person she meets. Full of fun, energy and a positive attitude, Helen also has a big, warm heart for friends old and new. At 88 years young, she is still going strong, thanks to a special team at the Springfield, Oregon Fire Department. Helen's heart went into ventricular fibrillation. As she looks back on it, she had absolutely no warning signs. She felt fine that day, drove herself to the Doubletree Hotel to meet friends for an auction, walked into the lobby...and collapsed. Two bystanders immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and 9-1-1 was quickly called. Springfield Fire Department's Station 5 was brand new. In fact, it had only been open a few weeks. The local neighborhood needed closer fire protection, and now it was a reality. Captain/paramedic Doug Cox, a 12-year veteran of the Springfield Department, was on the call to the Doubletree that day. He and his team arrived at the hotel in less than three minutes; firemen from the next closest station would probably have taken eight or nine minutes. As Helen says, she is "...very, very grateful help was so near." Captain Cox and his team found Helen with no pulse and not breathing on her own. "It really helps us when we come on the scene and find someone already performing CPR," said Captain Cox. "Keeping oxygen moving to the vital organs is critical for the survival of the patient. In this case, we were fortunate to have bystanders willing to jump in and help a stranger." A single shock from the AED brought Helen's heart back to a more stable rhythm. She began breathing, and was quickly transported to the hospital for treatment, which included an implanted defibrillator to assist in case of future cardiac episodes. Helen's son, George, a biochemist who lives across the country in Pennsylvania, received the call from his mother's doctor. "She had a history of a slow heartbeat and a potassium imbalance," her son said. "For some reason that day her heart went into ventricular fibrillation. I'm so thankful help was there, because my mother is truly an inspiration to me." Thanks to the new fire station and to quick and proper implementation of the Chain of Survival, Helen continues to light up the lives of those around her. Springfield, Oregon, a city of 52,000, is known for its top-notch emergency response system, with almost two-thirds of its firefighters trained as paramedics. Springfield's Fire Department has been well prepared since 1987, when it became one of the earliest departments in the nation to pioneer "Rapid Zap," as it was known by the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Rapid Zap was a resolution to train and equip fire department "first responders" with automated external defibrillators to save lives. Ideally, ambulances and trained paramedics would be first on the scene, but in many cases the fire or police department can arrive more quickly.
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