# 7984
As a former CPR Instructor (American Heart Association & Red Cross), I’ve had the pleasure of teaching hundreds of people how perform this life saving technique, and as a paramedic, I’ve experienced the genuine pride of arriving on the scene to find one of my students doing effective CPR . . . on his grandfather (who survived).
While we carried the requisite EKG/Defibrillator, cardiac meds, and telemetry . . . unless someone at the scene of a heart attack had initiated CPR before our arrival, the reality was, the odds of seeing a good patient outcome were next to zero.
One of the most common emergency situations you are likely to encounter is witnessing a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). More than a thousand occur every day across the nation, often in public places like parking lots, shopping malls, and houses of worship
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This from the Heart Rhythm Association:
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in the United States, claiming more than 350,000 lives each year.1,2
- An estimated 382,800 people experience sudden cardiac arrest in the United States each year.
- Approximately 92% of those who experience sudden cardiac arrest do not survive.
- SCA kills more than 1,000 people a day, or one person every 90 seconds 1,2 — a number great than the number of deaths each year from breast cancer, lung cancer, stroke or AIDS.
What the people who witness these events do in the first few minutes can mean the difference between life and death for the stricken individual. Luckily, hands-only CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) is easier to do than ever before, and there are now thousands of AEDs (automated external defibrillators) stationed in public venues across the nation.
And while taking a class is the preferable way to learn CPR, a new study presented at at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013 (Nov 16th-20th) shows that even after watching a 1 minute CPR video, the ability for the layperson to react and respond to a cardiac emergency increases substantially.
The press release from the American Heart Association provides the details.
1 minute of CPR video training could save lives
RESS Abstract 19453/157 (Omni Dallas Hotel, Dallas Ballroom D-H)
Just one minute of CPR video training for bystanders in a shopping mall could save lives in emergencies, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2013.
Researchers used a one-minute CPR video to improve responsiveness and teach compression only CPR to people with no CPR experience.
Participants were divided into two groups: 48 adults looked at the video, while 47 sat idle for one minute. In a private area with a mannequin simulating a sudden collapse, both groups were asked to do "what they thought best." Researchers measured responsiveness as time to call 9-1-1 and start chest compression and CPR quality reflected by chest compression depth, rate and hands-off interval time.
Adults who saw the CPR video called 9-1-1 more frequently, initiated chest compression sooner, had an increased chest compression rate and a decreased hands-off interval, researchers said.
"Given the short length of training, these findings suggest that ultra-brief video training may have potential as a universal intervention for public venues to help bystander reaction and improve CPR skills," said Ashish Panchal, M.D., Ph.D. lead researcher of the study.
You can view one of these short videos by clicking this link, or the graphic below.
For more 
In addition to doing CPR, knowing how to use one of the thousands of AED’s (automated external defibrillators) stationed in public areas like shopping malls, airports, bus terminals, schools, and other venues can be lifesaving.
AEDs are designed to be used by laypersons who ideally should have received some AED training. Like doing CPR, the required skills are relatively simple, but they do require some degree of familiarity.
Earlier this year, in Interactive Video: Using An AED For Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), I highlighted a brief, but informative, online presentation designed to teach you how to use one of these devices.
