Long Beach, CA – Los Angeles County residents learned how to save the life of a loved one using Hands-Only CPR. Participants got one-on-one instruction from first responders and were able to practice on manikins. Instruction was provided at El Dorado Park West in Long Beach by representatives from the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency, the Long Beach and the Los Angeles County Fire Departments, the American Heart Association, and the American Red Cross.
Hands-Only CPR is easy to learn, can be performed by anyone, and can triple the chances of survival when a person suffers cardiac arrest. According to Doctor Nichole Bosson, Medical Director for the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMS), “Each year EMS in LA County responds to nearly 8,000 persons in cardiac arrests. Less than half of them received CPR before EMS arrival. Anyone can perform bystander CPR and help increase the chance of survival for their loved one, or even a stranger.” CPR started immediately after cardiac arrest keeps blood and oxygen pumping to the brain and other vital organs until medical professionals can restart the heart.
The event featured survivors whose lives were saved by a loved one. “Not only is it important to start Hands-Only CPR quickly because it can save someone's life, but also because it most definitely will impact the quality of their life afterwards if they do survive,” said Steven Munatones, CEO and Co-Founder of KAATSU Global, whose life was saved by CPR. “Tests showed I lost some brain activity from my cardiac arrest. But if my son had not done Hands-Only CPR, and done so immediately, I would have lost a lot more brain activity, if not my life.”
If you find someone who is unresponsive and not breathing normally, first make sure the scene is safe, call 911 and, if possible, send someone to locate an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). To perform Hands-Only CPR, push hard and fast in the center of the chest at 100 - 120 beats per minute. Continue this until EMS arrives. To help keep the pace you can push to the beat of songs such as “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce featuring Jay-Z, or “Calm Down” by Rema with Selena Gomez.
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