It’s February, or American Heart Month, and a great chance for a quick 10-minute refresher on how you would respond if someone had a heart attack that caused a cardiac arrest.
Why? Because a sudden heart event could happen anywhere.
More than 350,000 cardiac arrests happen in the community (outside of a hospital) annually, and most are witnessed by loved ones. That means the person who suddenly needs help could be your partner, your grandchild, or your best friend — and you could be the first – or only – person there who can help.
And in those moments, the person who saves a life usually isn’t a doctor — it’s a family member.
Here’s what everyone needs to know.
(1) Call 911, but there’s not time to wait for them before starting CPR.
The #1 factor in survival is (a) how quickly the AED (defibrillator) is used and (b) If they get CPR the minute immediately.
Both of those need to happen LONG before the ambulance ever arrives.
That’s why the immediate 5-10 minutes are the most important for survival – in fact, . starting CPR early will double or triple someone’s chances of survival.
(2) How to Recognize a Cardiac Arrest
It may look dramatic on TV, but in real life, is often more subtle. These can be the signs:
The person collapses
They seem lethargic, maybe slower and out of it, and then become unresponsive
They’re not breathing, or their breathing looks like gasping, gargled, or not normal
They don’t respond when you shout or shake their shoulder
(3) What to do if someone goes into cardiac arrest:
Shake/call them – Shake their shoulder, shout and call their name
Look, listen and feel for breathing
*do NOT do a pulse check – the American Heart Association no longer suggests this, as it wastes precious time.
(4) Hands-Only CPR: What to Do
• Call 911 (put your phone on speaker)
• Place your hands in the center of their chest
• Push hard and quickly — 100–120 compressions/minute (to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive”)
• Let the chest rise fully between pushes
• Don’t stop until help arrives or someone takes over
*NOTE: You don’t need mouth-to-mouth for adults. Hands-only compressions are effective and recommended.
This February, give a Valentine that truly protects the people you love. Learn CPR. Be the person who can act — and feel confident doing it.
Be Ready for Emergencies
Those few minutes before EMS arrives are where survival is decided. That’s why I created the No-Panic Parenting CPR, Choking & Drowning Emergencies Course — a physician-led, up-to-date, easy-to-follow training you can do from home in under an hour. You’ll learn exactly what to do for infants, children, and adults, and how to stay calm enough to actually use those skills.
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