This February is a special one. Not only is it Heart Month, but it’s the American Heart Association’s 100th birthday—and we feel honored to partner with them, helping to spread the word about the importance of hands-only CPR.
What Is Hands-Only CPR?
CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and is used when someone experiences cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat and disrupts blood flow to the brain, lungs, and other organs.
Hands-only CPR is performed in two simple steps, helping to keep blood flow active and extend the opportunity for a successful resuscitation once trained medical staff arrive.
Why Is Learning Hands-Only CPR Necessary?
When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby.
According to the American Heart Association, each year more than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrests outside of a hospital, including 23,000 children, making CPR a critical skill.
About 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival. If you’re called to give CPR in an emergency, you’ll most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a child, a spouse, a parent, or a friend. Be prepared by finding and joining a CPR class near you.
Your chance of survival while waiting for emergency medical services during a cardiac emergency decrease by 10% every minute without CPR.
February Follow
Follow us and the American Heart Association throughout February for more information on heart health and CPR. We’ll also be sharing all the ways our Merit family is recognizing this important month.
Happy Heart Month and 100th Birthday to the American Heart Association! Here’s to 100 more years of saving lives.
Merit Salt Lake – Get Excited About These Heart Month Events!
BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKS
Place: Merit Care Clinic
Date: February 5 ̶ 9
Time: 11:00 a.m. ̶ 12:30 p.m.
CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRIES & HEART HEALTH HANDOUTS
Place: Bean Café
Date: February 14
Time: 10:30 a.m. ̶ 1:00 p.m.
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION CPR TRAINING EVENT
Place: Bean Building
Date: February 21
Time: 10:00 a.m. ̶ 1:50 p.m.