Learn CPR-It’s a Life Saver

By District Chief Todd Draizin

According to the American Heart Association, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) claims more lives than many types of cancers, influenza, pneumonia, car crashes, HIV, firearms, and home fires combined. In 2018, more than 366,800 people suffered from OHCA in the United States alone. Approximately 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in homes, with 20 percent occurring in public places and the remaining 10 percent in long-term care facilities such as a nursing home. Unfortunately, an estimated 90 percent of these victims did not survive. These statistics are a dramatic improvement from the 2012 statistics and are directly attributed to increased out-of-hospital bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or CPR.

What we know is the faster we can restore blood flow to vital organs including the brain, the better chances of not only surviving a cardiac arrest but maintaining a quality of life after being discharged from the hospital. This can only be accomplished in the OHCA by bystander CPR. Less than one-third of the people who experience out-of-hospital cardiac emergencies receive bystander CPR prior to the arrival of professional help, which resulted in survival to hospital discharge in almost 10 percent of the victims (or in almost 12,500 cases) of OHCA with good neurological function leading to being discharged home with a quality to life restored. The numbers don’t lie, the faster CPR is started the better the chance the victim of cardiac arrest will not only survive but return to their pre-cardiac arrest lifestyle.

Learning bystander Hands-Only CPR takes less than one hour and is one of the first steps to ensuring that you are equipped to help respond in the event of a cardiac emergency and can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. Knowing how and when to perform CPR requires a willingness to help and the ability to follow two simple steps. Step one - call 9-1-1 and Step 2 - push hard and fast in the center of the chest until first responders arrive or the victims pulse returns. Performing bystander or Hands-Only CPR allows you to serve as an immediate responder, performing the steps necessary to help save a life until first responders arrive.

The City of Weston and the Broward Sheriff’s Office encourage the public to learn how and when to perform CPR.

To learn how to perform Hands-Only CPR, use an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), and severe bleeding control consider joining us for Weston Community CPR Day on February 25, 2023. Ongoing CPR classes will be held from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Weston Community Center – 20200 Saddle Club Rd. Weston, FL 33326. Registration is recommended and free but not required to participate. Please register online at https:// BSOFireRescuePublicEducation.as.me/WestonCPRDay

While instances of cardiac arrest remain high globally, the good news is that there are steps we can take to ensure that we are prepared to respond by performing CPR as quickly as possible.

▸ For more info, contact BSO Public Educator Melanie Brocato at 954-389-2090 or by email at Melanie_Brocato@Sheriff.org.