Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in the United States and 80 percent of SCA events happen at home or in the community. A person’s chance of survival doubles or triples if CPR is started immediately. The Cardiovascular Committee for CV Outreach at Chester County Hospital is hoping to save more lives by raising awareness in the community of the hospital’s free Hands-Only CPR training classes through “Manikin Challenge,” a video they created that goes through the steps of what to do if someone suddenly collapses.
The goal of the video, which will go live on social media this month, is to “get people to jump on the bandwagon and help us pass the importance of being trained in Hands-Only CPR on,” explained Susan Pizzi, MS, RN, Community Health Education coordinator.
Chester County Hospital, an accredited Chest Pain Center, follows recommended outreach programs to address early heart attack care, Hands-Only CPR, and AED use.
“We started the Hands-Only training sessions because people were fearful to get involved or injure the person.” Pizzi said. “There is a good chance of breaking a rib, but it’s better to break a rib that can heal than do nothing. I think once people go through the training and see how easy it can be to get actively involved, those barriers dissipate.”
To join in the challenge, which runs through February, visit ChesterCountyHospital.org/Hands-Only to schedule your free Hands-Only CPR training session or follow Chester County Hospital on Facebook.