Recent CPR Certification Helps Save Life

Officials said that Laite went into cardiac arrest which is commonly associated with a heart attack, yet the two are very different.

“Cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death is an electrical problem of the heart. Basically where there is no effective heartbeat and no blood flow to the vital organs of the body. A heart attack is a circulation problem effectively where there is a blockage in one of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. So two different problems,” said Dr. Ammar Killu, who is a Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Killu said even though most of the people who learn how to perform CPR may never end up using it, just knowing what to do raises that persons’ chance of survival.

“Doing CPR which is basically chest compressions in this situation, helps get whatever oxygen is still in the body around to those organs. The quicker you can perform CPR the more effective the CPR is and the higher chances of survival, ” said Dr. Killu.

For chest compressions, you want to remember 30/2. 30 compressions to the chest about 2 inches in depth. You also want to administer about 120 compressions per minute.

Laite’s friend was just CPR certified two months ago, and he said that he never thought he’d have to use.

“I’m very thankful he got trained in CPR. he saved my life,” said Laite.