American Heart Association releases new video for National CPR Awareness Week which is going now through June 7th

American Heart Association debuts new “Heckling Fan” PSA to teach the two simple steps of Hands-Only CPR to a disco beat

Nashville, TN – Do you know the two simple steps of Hands-Only™ CPR? Then you’re ready to help save a life.

In recognition of National CPR Awareness Week (June 3rd – June 8th), the American Heart Association is  continuing  the national awareness campaign teaching Americans how to perform Hands-Only CPR to the beat of the Bee Gees’ hit “Stayin’ Alive.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J-oSj5IkEY[/youtube]

As part of the second year of the national Hands-Only CPR campaign, the American Heart Association debuted new TV and radio public service announcements, digital promotions and a one-minute Hands-Only CPR demo video to train Americans in the life-saving technique.

What happens when an overzealous sports fan’s buddy collapses from cardiac arrest? Watch this 1-minute video to learn the simple steps to help save a life with Hands-Only CPR. If you know the two steps to Hands-Only CPR, you’re ready to help save a life.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death with nearly 360,000 out-of-hospital cases occurring every year in the United States. When a teen or adult has a sudden cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby, especially since survival rates drop as much as 10% for every minute that goes by without intervention.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSgmledxFe8[/youtube]

The Bees Gees’ hit song “Stayin’ Alive” has more than 100 beats per minute, which is the rate you should push on the chest during Hands-Only CPR.

Using Hands-Only CPR to the beat of the Bee Gees’ ‘Stayin’ Alive’ immediately on a teen or adult who collapses from sudden cardiac arrest can double or triple their chances of survival.

In fact, Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be equally as effective as conventional mouth-to-mouth CPR, and people are more likely to feel comfortable performing it. A December 2012 study published in the American Heart Association’s journal, Circulation found that chest compression-only CPR performed by bystanders keeps more people alive with good brain function after having a sudden cardiac arrest.

To learn more about the Hands-Only CPR campaign and get ready to save a life visit heart.org/handsonlycpr, facebook.com/AHACPR or youtube.com/HandsOnlyCPR.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases.

The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. As part of our dedication to save lives, we are setting out to train all Americans in lifesaving Hands-Only CPR. To learn more or to get involved, call 1.800.AHA.USA, visit heart.org, or call any of our offices around the country.