HSF launches innovative CPR course to overcome barriers

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
News Release

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OTTAWA - In a recent poll, Canadians who haven't been trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) listed a 'lack of time' as the main barrier to learning this lifesaving skill. The Foundation has responded to this concern by launching CPR Anytime(TM) Family & Friends(TM), a new 22-minute self-directed CPR training course.

Sold exclusively by the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Canada, the course is designed for training individuals in the workplace, in community group settings, or in their own homes. The course comes in a kit which includes an instructional DVD, an inflatable mini-mannequin, and a user-friendly instruction manual with easy-to-understand text and reinforcing photographs.

Research published in the August 2007 issue of Resuscitation found that lay people who trained with the CPR Anytime(TM) Family & Friends(TM) course remembered as much as those who took part in longer courses.

"The Foundation's CPR Anytime(TM) Family & Friends(TM) training course is successful because it's so hands-on," says Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson Michael Nemeth. "Trainees repeatedly perform the techniques along with the video, resulting in better skills retention."

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, almost 80 per cent of cardiac arrests occur at home or in public places and almost half are witnessed by a family member or friend. Yet less than five per cent of people who have a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital survive. This is often because CPR is not started soon enough by bystanders or not performed at all.

A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating and the person shows no sign of life. While training in CPR skills can benefit everyone, the Heart and Stroke Foundation believes it's especially important that the families and caregivers of people living with heart disease - or at high risk of developing it - get trained.

The odds of survival for a victim of cardiac arrest are almost four times greater if someone performs CPR on them right away.

Cardiac arrest survival rates increase when bystanders follow the links in the Chain of Survival(TM), which include early recognition of the arrest, early access to emergency medical services, early CPR, and early defibrillation. Each link in the chain increases the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.

"The majority of people who suffer a cardiac arrest die because help does not arrive in time," says Nemeth, a paramedic. "If you think someone has had a cardiac arrest, the best chance a person has of surviving is for you to react quickly by calling 9-1-1 or the local emergency services number and starting CPR."

The more people trained in CPR use, the greater the chance of keeping victims alive until an ambulance arrives.

A 2005 study in Resuscitation concluded that this type of training could produce a significant increase in the number of lay responders who can perform CPR. Use of the kit also has a multiplier effect: an average of 2.5 people are trained for every kit sold.

"CPR Anytime(TM) Family & Friends(TM) contains everything you need to learn to recognize and respond to a sudden cardiac arrest emergency," says Nemeth. "By putting your heart into it and taking 22 minutes to learn CPR, you could save the life of someone close to you."

CPR Anytime(TM) Family & Friends(TM) teaches the core skills needed to save a life. People who need to be certified or who would like a more in-depth course can contact their provincial Heart and Stroke Foundation to find out about local Heart and Stroke Foundation CPR courses.

November is CPR Month.

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