On-line video, phone app, and a training kit from the American Heart Association teaches
basic CPR techniques

Here’s an American Heart Association (AHA) statistic that will make your heart beat a little faster: Eighty percent of cardiac arrests occur in the home! In addition to dialing 9-1-1, would you know what to do if your loved one collapsed and needed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)? The AHA has made it easier than ever to learn basic lifesaving skills by offering four educational tools: a new on-line instructional video, a phone app, an at-home training kit, and a campaign specifically geared toward teens. These options do not replace the level of training offered in a certified class, but can serve as a good base of knowledge or as a refresher.

Sudden cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when electrical impulses in the heart become too rapid or chaotic, causing the heart to suddenly stop beating; whereas a heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is blocked. A heart attack may precipitate a cardiac arrest. EMS treats about 300,000 victims of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year in the U.S., including about 5,900 children.

CPR Week is June 1-7… the perfect time to get everyone in the family on board to learn some basic lifesaving skills, particularly since it’s time to bone up on summer water safety. Visit Heart.org to find a CPR class in your area or check out these new resources:

On-line video…
In sixty seconds, you can watch the AHA’s Hands-Only CPR instructional video and learn the basics on how to save a life. Take a minute more and share it with five of your loved ones. Anyone can learn Hands-Only CPR and everyone should. Visit handsonlycpr.org/ when you’ve got a minute.

Tap the App…
Emergency information is just one touch away with the AHA’s Pocket First Aid & CPR application for the Apple iPhone. Users can download the new version 3.0, which includes Child & Infant CPR, Child & Infant Choking, and 12 quick-reference guides for emergencies and first aid. An additional component of the application is a phone-based medical profile feature, where users can store their family’s medical information. The application can save doctors’ contact information, emergency contacts, allergies, medications, and insurance information for quick access in an emergency.

A Family Affair…
Family & Friends CPR Anytime is a self-directed, personal CPR kit that makes learning the core skills of CPR easy, convenient, affordable, and fun for the whole family. It takes just 22 minutes to learn and can be done anywhere. This kit does not provide certification in CPR but offers the latest research via a DVD instructional video, training booklet, and inflatable mannequin.

Tween/Teen Scene…
Be the Beat, the AHA’s on-line cardiac arrest awareness campaign, teaches 12 to 15-year-olds fun ways to learn the basics of CPR, and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). Video games, interactive quizzes, and 100-beat-per-minute songs can help teach teens and tweens what to do if someone collapses with sudden cardiac arrest. Be sure to ask your babysitter to check out BetheBeat.heart.org!