entertainment

American Heart Association Feels The Beat

This week kicks off CPR Awareness Week in the United States, and to further educate consumers about the easiest way to help someone in cardiac arrest — HandsOnly CPR — the American Heart Association is once again relying on musical accompaniment. 

A new video designed to showcase effective CPR techniques depicts a multiracial family going over what to do when an adult or teen suddenly collapses in their presence. First, the kids recall, they need to call 9-1-1. Second, the daughter says, they need to begin chest compressions at the rate of 100 beats per minute. When the son wonders what that rate is, the a cappella group Street Corner Symphony appears to sing the Bee Gees hit, “Stayin’ Alive.”

Alson Inaba, the doctor who came up with the idea of using “Stayin’ Alive” as the rhythm for Hands-Only CPR, said the rise in popularity of a cappella music was behind the video’s concept. “We’re thrilled that Street Corner Symphony has helped us create a dynamic and memorable video that will help more people confidently take action in an emergency,” Inaba said in a statement.

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Cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, with more than 300,000 happening outside the hospital every year, according to the American Heart Association. With every minute that passes, survival rates drop about 10%. Quick and effective bystander help can double or triple chances of survival, according to the AHA. 

The organization estimates its Hands-Only CPR education efforts over the past few years have trained more than three million people about what to do in an emergency. 

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