Buffalo Bills Damar Hamlin’s Milestone Shines Spotlight on CPR
A year ago today, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) helped save Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Millions of football fans – especially Buffalo Bills fans – witnessed his heart emergency, and later learned about the power of CPR during cardiac arrest.
UR Medicine and the American Heart Association are expanding CPR readiness in the Rochester and Finger Lakes region, with the placement of a mobile, hands-only CPR training station at Eastview Mall.
It is located near the mall entrance to Dick’s House of Sport through Jan. 31, thanks to support from Ontario County Public Health and Wilmorite.
“When someone experiences cardiac arrest, bystander response with CPR can help save their life. Anyone in our community can learn CPR and UR Medicine is making it easier to acquire the skills,” said Spencer Rosero, MD, of UR Medicine Cardiac Care.
“Collaboration with the American Heart Association has allowed us to provide our community one of only three mobile CPR training units in the country and at-home training kits in Monroe County libraries.”
The teaching station includes a touchscreen with a video program to provide brief training followed by a practice session and a 30-second test. It is equipped with a built-in, rubber torso, or manikin, to guide proper hand placement as well as compression rate and depth, and provides real-time feedback to strengthen technique.
Since its introduction last summer, more than 4,000 people have used the training kiosk and are now prepared to help if a loved one, friend, or stranger suffers a heart emergency.
“We know that to save more lives from the 350,000 cardiac arrests that occur outside of the hospital every year, we must increase the number of people who respond to cardiac arrest by calling 911, delivering high-quality CPR, and getting and using an AED as soon as it is available,” said Jason Stulb, executive director of the American Heart Association, Rochester.
Here’s why the decision to learn CPR is critical:
- More than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of hospitals every year in the U.S. That’s about 1,000 each day.
- Most times it happens in the home or workplace.
- Only 1 in 10 people will survive. And the vast majority of cardiac arrest victims will never even make it to an emergency room.
- Immediate CPR can double or triple their chances of survival.
- Unfortunately, seven in 10 people report being unprepared to act in the face of a cardiac emergency.
- Less than half of all people who need this CPR will receive it from bystanders before emergency responders arrive.
- CPR education is readily available:
- The CPR training kiosk is at Eastview Mall, near Dick’s House of Sport.
- Check out a learn-at-home kit from any Monroe County library branch.
- Take a CPR class. They are frequently offered by Heart Association training centers, community organizations and employers.
Go to learncpr.urmc.edu for updates on CPR education opportunities.
Author
