CPR/ AED Awareness Week
June 1-7 is CPR and AED Week, dedicated to emphasizing the importance of early bystander CPR, access to AEDs, and raising awareness about the leading cause of death in America. As this week comes to a close, now is a good time to talk about the importance of learning CPR and AED skills.
Annually, approximately 35,000 Americans experience sudden cardiac arrest outside of hospital settings. Notably, 70% of these incidents occur at home, indicating that bystanders are more likely to perform CPR on a family member than on a stranger.
The odds of surviving a cardiac arrest decrease 10% per minute. With the average EMS response time in Kitsap County ranging from 5-10 minutes, it is not hard to see why nationally only 10% of people will survive.
The good news is you can take action today to learn the skills it takes to save a life. While the medical community has gone back and forth on the effectiveness of resperations, current studies from the American Red Cross show more positive patient outcomes when CPR is used in conjunction with rescue breaths. CPR with rescue breaths has been shown to triple the chances of surviving cardiac arrest. The use of an AED improves these numbers further, by 15-17% depending on the study.
If you are uncomfortable giving breaths, Hands-Only or Compression-Only CPR can still double or triple survival rates, depending on the study. Early access to an AED further improves these odds.
Remember that doing something is better than doing nothing. With high-quality CPR and AED use, we see a national average survival rate of 10%. It is important to understand that this is a national average, with Washington State averaging 14% statewide and 62% in King County. If no action is taken, survival rates fall to 5-7%.
Below are resources you can use to learn the skills you need to save a life.
Learn Hands Only CPR - FREE!
Learn How To Use An AED - FREE!
Red Cross Until Help Arrives $40
Non-certification, online course will provide the general public with the basic yet critical key actions that can be taken during a life-threatening emergency that can help sustain or save a life until EMS arrives. Crew 58 receives no money from this course