Learn 'hands-only' CPR in two simple steps

Experts say your hands can save a life

Could your hands save a life?  They can if you know what to do.

The American Heart Association is trying to spread the word about Hands-Only CPR.

Until recently, performing CPR meant giving chest compressions and breaths.  That's how I learned it as a teenage lifeguard.  But times have changed.

Studies have shown Hands-Only CPR to be equally as effective as CPR with breaths, with the added bonus that people are more likely to feel comfortable performing it, even on a stranger.

It's critical that people learn how to perform Hands-Only CPR.  Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death and over 420,000 of those cases occur outside of a hospital every year in the United States.  That means survival depends on quickly receiving CPR from someone nearby.  Survival rates drop as much as 10 percent for every minute that goes by without intervention.

According to the American Heart Association, Hands-Only CPR has just two simple steps:

1) If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 9-1-1.

2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the classic Bee Gees’ song “Stayin’ Alive.”   (By happy coincidence, it has a rate of 100 beats per minute, the same rate recommended for performing Hands-Only CPR.)

With the support of the WellPoint Foundation, the American Heart Association has launched a 3-year national campaign to raise awareness of Hands-Only CPR.  In hopes of reaching a younger crowd, the organizations have also collaborated with DJ Earworm to create this mash-up of well-known songs that have the right rate to guide compressions for Hands-Only CPR. 

You never know when you or someone you love may need Hands-Only CPR.   Help spread the word and share this video with your family and friends.