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Did you know?
What is CPR?Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure involving chest compressions (pressing down on the chest) and artificial respiration (rescue breathing). It has the power to restore blood flow to someone suffering cardiac arrest, keeping them alive until an ambulance arrives.
What is a cardiac arrest?
A cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating regularly and can no longer pump blood through the body. Each year there are between 35,000 and 45,000 cases of cardiac arrest in Canada. A cardiac arrest can have a variety of causes – heart attack, drowning, stroke, electrocution, suffocation, drug overdose, motor vehicle or other trauma.
A cardiac arrest is a life-or-death emergency. If you find an adult, child or infant who is not breathing and does not have a heartbeat, you must act quickly. The best chance a person has of surviving is for you to recognize what is happening and react quickly by starting CPR and calling 9-1-1. Learn to recognize heart attack warning signals and react quickly to save a life.
Why get trained?
Once the heart stops pumping, seconds count. For every minute that passes without help, a person's chance of surviving drops by about 10 percent. But if you know how to respond to a cardiac arrest, their odds of survival and recovery may increase by 30 percent or more.
Learning CPR is easy and inexpensive – just a few hours could make an important difference in someone's life. Find out about the different kinds of CPR courses available.
Since most cardiac arrests happen at home, you could be saving the life of a friend of family member. Find out about CPR training in your area.
Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
Now, you don't have to be a doctor to save a life. New automated external defibrillators (AEDs) make it possible for even non-medical personnel to restore heart rhythm—and life.
An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a machine that can monitor heart rhythms. It can tell if the heart has stopped beating effectively. If required, the machine can then deliver an electric shock to the heart. Most of the time, this shock will restart the heart.
source: www.heartandstroke.ca
Facts from the Red Cross…
- A human heart will cease beating within four minutes after breathing stops.
- Permanent brain damage can occur within four to six minutes after breathing stops.
- The survival rates of individuals suffering cardiac arrest decrease by approximately 7 to 10% every minute that defibrillation is delayed.
- The use of an Automated External Defibrillator can save the lives of 30% of more of those who suffer cardiac arrest. When defibrillation is delayed, survival rates decrease to approximately 50% at 5 minutes. The earlier defibrillation occurs, the better the prognosis.
- More than a third of Canadian deaths each year are attributed to coronary disease, which makes it the leading cause of death in Canada.
- In most Canadian cities, the average ambulance response time is eight to twelve minutes.
- Injuries are the leading cause of death for Canadians between the ages of 1 and 44, and kill more children under the age of 19 than all other causes of death combined.
- Each year there are over 2 million Canadians injured unintentionally. This translates into the statistic of 6 000 unintentional injuries per day or 250 per hour of each day.
- These injuries cost the Canadian economy more than $8.7 billion each year.
- Research shows that, on average, every injury in Canada costs $4,000 in direct and indirect costs.
- For an injured victim, immediate first aid can make the difference between complete recovery and permanent disability.
- Each year, injuries leave 47 000 Canadians either partially or totally disabled.
- Research shows that Canadians who have first aid training can reduce their own personal injuries by as much as 30%.
- The cause of 90% of injuries are predictable and preventable.
- The Canadian Red Cross trains over 318 000 Canadians in first aid and CPR each year, enabling them to prevent injuries, and think, recognize and react appropriately in emergency situations.
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