Photo Spotlight: Kids Learn CPR in Rancho Bernardo

Updated 11:10 a.m. Oct. 15 to note the event was sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross Foundation.

The Rancho Bernardo Community Council partnered with the American Heart Association for Hands-Only CPR Mobile Tour training session on Saturday, Oct. 6 at the Westwood Club, teaching more than 250 people the basics of life-saving skills. The RB visit was one of eight scheduled stops on a nationwide tour.

Eric Thompson, an RB resident and senior director of commnunications and marketing for the American Heart Association, shared the following information about heart health:

• Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death. Nearly 400,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States.
• When a teen or adult has a sudden cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately getting CPR from someone nearby.

• Sadly, 89 percent of people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die because they don’t receive immediate CPR from someone on the scene.
• Most Americans (70 percent) feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency because they don’t know how to administer CPR or they’re afraid of hurting the victim. Don’t be afraid. Your actions can only help.
• If you see a teen or adult collapse, call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the classic disco song Stayin’ Alive. The American Heart Association’s Hands-Only CPR at this beat can more than double or triple a person’s chances of survival.
• If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend.
• 80 percent of sudden cardiac arrests happen in private or residential settings. Unfortunately, only 41 percent of people who experience a cardiac arrest at home, work or in public get the immediate help that they need before emergency help arrives.
• Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR for sudden cardiac arrest at home, at work or in public. It can double or even triple a victim’s chance of survival.
• Hands-Only CPR has just two easy steps: If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, (1) Call 911; and (2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the disco song Stayin’ Alive.
• According to the American Heart Association, people feel more confident performing Hands-Only CPR and are more likely to remember the correct rhythm when trained to the beat of the disco classic Stayin’ Alive.
• The American Heart Association’s Hands-Only CPR campaign is supported by an educational grant from Anthem Blue Cross Foundation.

For more about CPR, visit heart.org.