Strangers with CPR training help save man’s life

EUREKA, Mo. – Ken Hamilton is lucky to be alive.  The 56-year-old surveyor was out on a job in Eureka last month when the Fenton man collapsed and stopped breathing.  First responders with the Eureka Fire Protection District say he went into full cardiac arrest. “He was a dying man,” said Eureka Fire Protection District Div. Chief Scott Barthelmass. Hamilton is alive thanks to a chain[..]

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Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month – What You Should Know

More than 350,000 deaths occur each year as a result of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) SCA claims one life every two minutes, taking more lives each year than breast cancer, lung cancer, or AIDS. To decrease the death toll from SCA, it is important to understand what SCA is, what warning signs are, and how to respond and prevent SCA from occurring. More than 65 percent of Americans[..]

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5 First Aid Myths

In a medical emergency, the right response can save livesMany of us are still doing the wrong thing. Getting first aid right can mean the difference between life and death. Here are some of the most common myths about first aid… and what you should do instead.MYTH 1: Put butter on a burnAny new burn that’s exposed to the air is incredibly painful. Covering it with a cool substance[..]

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Companies learning CPR reap the side benefit of team building

Learning CPR can not only help to save a life, but it can bring your company closer together. Taking a four-hour CPR course with your co-workers can build trust and understanding among employees. Everyone working together toward a common goal builds stronger working relationships and understanding amongst workers. Articles like this one from the New York Times, show how putting individuals in a[..]

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Who says music doesn’t save lives?

In an effort to help train first responders in hands-only CPR, New York Presbyterian Hospital has released a 40-song playlist whose beats per minute match the number of chest compressions. Most people are familiar with The Bee Gees’ 1977 hit – and aptly named – Stayin’ Alive which took the number one spot. Artists from Beyoncé to Justin Timberlake to ABBA also had songs[..]

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Cardiac arrest survival increase when bystanders use an AED

According to a recent study in the Circulation Journal Report, Survival from cardiac arrest doubled when bystanders stepped in to use a publicly available automated external defibrillator rather than waiting for emergency responders to arrive. The study showed that the longer it takes to emergency personnel to arrive, the greater the benefit of a bystander using an AED to shock the[..]

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Fast-acting coworkers with an AED save employee’s life

Irv Donaldson pictured right Irv Donaldson had a heart attack at work. What his fellow employees did next saved his life. Meanwhile, employee Jeff Wilson went and grabbed an AED, or an Automated External Defibrillator. The coworkers then used the device to shock Donaldson’s heart. Those quick actions all happened in about 7 minutes before paramedics arrived. Paramedics say what they did[..]

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Woman saved with CPR while attending conference

Sarah Stephenson (Photo Courtesy of WDEL) Sarah Stephenson was attending a a conference when she observed a woman nearby having a seizure in her chair. “She was kind of just sitting there with her head back, so nothing really looked out of the norm,” said Stephenson. “You always want to check out things first before going over to a situation because you never really know what could be[..]

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What is the Difference Between Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Heart attack?

Often times sudden cardiac arrest and heart attack are used synonymously. In truth the two are very different from one another. Sudden cardiac arrest is when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating. A heart attack is when blood flow to the heart is blocked. In short a heart attack is about “circulation” and sudden cardiac arrest is an “electrical” problem. Heart[..]

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Chances of survival are doubled when CPR is performed in conjunction with an AED.

Did You Know?…….   1. SCA (Sudden Cardiac Arrest) is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. 2. Approximately 356,000 people of all ages experience SCA each year 3. 9 out of 10 victims die 4. Effective bystanders intervention can triple survival rates   UniFirst First Aid + Safety created a chain of survival chart for you and your team, feel free to share (click on the link[..]

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