If I told you that an easy-to-learn skill could save a life, would you want to know more?
That skill is cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. About 90% of people who experience a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting do not survive, in part because they have not received immediate CPR from a bystander. The American Heart Association has set a goal of doubling the survival of cardiac arrest by 2030 and wants you to join the Nation of Lifesavers by learning CPR today.
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death worldwide, and each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital setting in the United States. These events happen due to an electrical malfunction in the heart that disrupts blood flow from the heart to the brain, lungs and other organs.
Research shows that Black and Hispanic adults who experience a witnessed cardiac arrest outside the hospital are substantially less likely than their white peers to receive lifesaving care from a bystander.
Black Americans have the highest incidence of cardiac arrest outside of the hospital and are significantly less likely to survive. Cardiac arrest in Black neighborhoods is associated with alarmingly low treatment and survival rates and recent studies have shown lower rates of both bystander CPR and bystander automated external defibrillator (AED) use in these neighborhoods.
According to the research, CPR intervention was least likely for Black and Hispanic adults in a less personal setting, such as on the street or in a public transportation center. Results improved at home or in public settings where people might know the person, such as the workplace, though such CPR still was more likely for white people in the study.
Cardiac arrest can result in death within minutes. A little less than half of people who experience a cardiac arrest receive CPR from a bystander.
When seconds matter most, CPR can make the difference in whether your friends and family survive. But not everyone knows how to perform CPR. Find a nearby class to take a course to learn the lifesaving skills of CPR, first aid, and how to use an AED.
Alternatively, individuals, families and friend groups can watch a 90-second Hands-Only CPR instructional video to learn the two steps of Hands-Only CPR: 1) Call 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse; and 2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a familiar song that has 100 to 120 beats per minute. An American Heart Association CPR playlist features numerous songs by Black musicians and performers, including “Please Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna, “You Got Me” by The Roots, and “Universal Mind Control” by Common.
Immediate CPR could double or triple a person’s chance of survival. The American Heart Association urges everyone to take action in the event of a cardiac arrest by calling 911, delivering high-quality CPR and getting and using an AED as soon as it is available.
For more information, please contact the American Heart Association at 212-878-5900 or visit heart.org/cpr. Together, we can save lives.
Natalia Cineas, DNP, MSM-N, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, FADLN, serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive, Co-Chair, Equity and Access Council for NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest municipal public health care system in the nation, serving 1.4 million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations, directing 9,600+ nurses and President of the board of the directors of the New York City American Heart Association.