CPR-Don't Overthink It, Just Do It
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Having a health condition that affects the mechanics of my heart has made me more aware of what I would do if the person sitting next to me fell over. You see, I can identify with that feeling of panic that there might just be a frozen crowd of onlookers all around me.
When I went through CPR training years ago, I memorized all of these steps and then you didn't pass if you messed something up. I worried that I would forget a step if something happened to someone and then what? They would die?
Well, the reality is that people don't help when someone collapses for the very reasons I've just listed. They are afraid they will not do something correctly in the CPR procedure. The American Heart Association estimates that fewer than a third of heart attack victims are assisted by bystanders. They have developed a video to address this issue.
The video uses "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees as music for the background of an informational segment that gives you, the layman, very simple instructions to help save a life:
1. Call 911
2. Put your hands on the center of the victim's chest, then push hard and fast. DON'T stop until help arrives.
This simple maneuver can more than double a victim's chances of survival. Those are odds that I can live with.
To see the video and learn more about what you can do to save a life go to the American Heart Association's website.
Remember: Call 911 and push in the center of the chest- Simple