Do you know cpr?

February is Heart Month!
The United States Government and Medical Organizations want to recognize the growing trends in heart disease and related illnesses and deaths.  No time is better than now to recognize the potential risks involved with heart problems and how it can affect you and your loved ones.   One of the biggest steps for anyone is to know the basics of CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation. 

HEART HEALTH FACTS
-Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States.
-There are more than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) annually in the U.S., and nearly 90% of those cases are fatal. (February is Heart Month – Are You Trained in CPR? (hsi.com))
-Each year, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation offers a summary of the annual American Heart Association report, most recently titled Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2022 Update. Focusing on OHCA arrest, some of the latest statistics from the report show:

• The majority of OHCA’s occur at a home or residence (74%). Public settings (15%) and nursing homes (11%) were the second and third most common locations.
• Cardiac arrest was witnessed by a bystander in 37% of cases, and an EMS provider in 13% of cases. It was unwitnessed in 50% of cases.
• Bystander CPR by laypeople was initiated in 41% of the OHCAs.

Sudden cardiac arrest can be deadly if not treated quickly, that is why knowing CPR is important.  The statistics show that most incidents occured in a home setting.  Minutes lost is likely to cause lack of bloodflow to organs, lack of oxygenation, and potential brain damage and/or death.  

For more information click the link (February is Heart Month – Are You Trained in CPR? (hsi.com))