Cardiac arrest - an electrical malfunction of the heart - is a leading cause of death in this country. But knowing some basic CPR skills can help save lives.
A method knows as "Hands-Only" CPR" can make a difference when seconds count.
There are just two steps.
"Once you learn the skill, it's simple," said Tanner Hood, a Basic Life Support Instructor with REMSA. "Especially with Hands-Only CPR, the idea is call 911 and push hard and fast in the middle of the chest. It's those two steps that could potentially save someones life.
Seventy percent of cardiac arrests happen outside the hospital - and this method of CPR can up the odds of survival when it's performed immediately.
"Within the first few seconds, applying CPR can double or even triple their chances of survival," Hood said.
If you're called on to give CPR, you'll most likely be trying to save the life of someone you know.
"The majority happen in house, so potentially you have a good chance of performing CPR on a loved one or someone you care about, a friend, family member, someone like that," Hood said.
REMSA teaches basic life support classes and they're also looking for instructors.
"I'm a second-year nursing student and being involved in this is super important because if someone needs help, I want to be part of that response team to save their life," Hood said. "It gives me a chance to meet other people in the medical field as well. When I teach classes, I'm working with other nurses and doctors and people that I could be working in a hospital with someday, and it gives other people the education that they may need to save a life someday."
More information: https://www.remsahealth.com
