Remember disco? The American Heart Association and comedic actress Jennifer Coolidge are pumping new life into the ‘70s disco classic, "Stayin’ Alive" by the Bee Gees, to teach people across the country how to save lives with Hands-Only CPR.
The Bee Gees’ hit – which is the near-perfect rate for doing chest compressions during CPR – is a centerpiece of the Association’s new Hands-Only CPR awareness campaign. It only takes 60 seconds to learn the life-saving skill either online or during free in-person sessions at the new state-of-the-art mobile training unit that kicks off its nationwide tour in New York City. Supported by a $4.5 million grant from the WellPoint Foundation, the campaign will contribute to the American Heart Association’s goal to double survival from cardiac arrest by 2020.
“People feel more confident performing Hands-Only CPR and are more likely to remember the correct compression rate when trained to the beat of ‘Stayin’ Alive,’” said Alson Inaba, M.D., the American Heart Association CPR instructor credited with first using the song to help students recall the right rate of compressions. “Not only is it a fun, catchy and memorable way to remember what to do, but it works – people’s lives have been saved because of it.”
Coolidge, whose work includes CBS’ “2 Broke Girls” and numerous films such as “Best in Show,” “American Pie” and “Legally Blonde,” stars in the American Heart Association’s humorous new public service announcement to teach everyone the two easy steps of Hands-Only CPR. If a teen or adult suddenly collapses, call 9-1-1 and then push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive” until help arrives.
“It seems almost impossible to me that the whole world doesn’t know CPR. I learned Hands-Only CPR while shooting the American Heart Association’s new PSA, and now I know how to save a life,” said Coolidge. “Who would’ve thought? I can save a life!”
Nearly 400,000 Americans suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year, and almost 90 percent die because they don’t receive immediate CPR from someone on the scene. When begun immediately, CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
“The WellPoint Foundation is committed to improving health in our communities, and one of our primary focus areas is combating heart disease.” said Dr. Sam Nussbaum, Executive Vice President, Clinical Health Policy and Chief Medical Officer for WellPoint. “We are delighted to support the American Heart Association’s Hands-Only CPR campaign to increase survival after cardiac arrest. We are asking people to watch this short instructional video which will empower them with an unparalleled skill: the ability to save a life.”
Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1do4x)
