Every year in the U.S., about 356,000 people experience cardiac arrest, but only 11% of them survive, according to the American Heart Association.
Therefore, each year the first week of June, June 1-7, is National CPR and AED(Automatic External Defibrillators) Awareness Week.
The City of San Diego is helping raise awareness of this issue through its San Diego Project Heartbeat Program.
Tomorrow, Thursday, June 1st, the staff of this project will be conducting a hands-on demonstration on how to perform CPR and use an AED in case of an emergency. The presentation will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside the City Administration Building.
The City has produced a video in English and in Spanish to inform the public on what to do in an emergency.
Learning this skill is crucial because 70% of cardiac arrests that occur outside of the hospital take place in homes. By taking advantage of this opportunity, we can equip ourselves with the ability to potentially save the life of a loved one.
To learn more about this topic, please visit https://www.sandiego.gov/sdprojectheartbeat.
What is a cardiac arrest and how to identify if someone is having one?
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute explains that cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops pumping, causing a lack of blood flow to the brain and vital organs.
“Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency. Nine out of 10 people who have a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die — often within minutes,” the NHLBI said.
Signs that someone may be having a cardiac arrest, according to NHLBI:
● Passing out or sudden collapse
● Are not breathing or are grasping for breath
● Are unresponsive when being called or shaken
● Have no pulse
If someone is experiencing cardiac arrest, the first step is to call 9-1-1. After that, perform CPR and use an AED if available.
If you're looking for more information on CPR and AED, you can check out https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/cardiac-arrest.
