Twenty-three million people watching Monday night football recently witnessed Damar Hamlin suffer a cardiac arrest and collapse on the field.
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions, causing the heart to pump too rapidly, chaotically, or not at all. Almost 1000 people every day suffer an out-of- hospital sudden cardiac arrest; about 70% occur in the home.
People experiencing cardiac arrest collapse and stop breathing. This can be deadly if the proper steps are not taken quickly. For every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation, the chance of survival is reduced by 10%
An elite NFL medical team and EMTs on the scene saved Damar Hamlin’s life. But it does not take a team of professionals to save someone experiencing cardiac arrest.
In a high school gym in Georgia, about 100 people witnessed Claire Crawford, a high school senior, suffer a cardiac arrest as she collapsed playing volleyball. A teacher, coach, and spectator saved Claire. They demonstrated that with proper training, anyone has the power to save a life.
The American Red Cross stresses that every second counts in cardiac arrest and people can save lives by knowing how to perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED). However, according to the American Heart Association, fewer than 40 percent of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital receive CPR quickly and fewer than 12 percent have an AED applied before emergency personnel arrive.
A study in 2016 showed that only 18 percent of adults had current CPR training, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
OBXCPR is a North Carolina Nonprofit and proud provider of American Red Cross CPR and AED training. In just a few short hours, you can gain the knowledge and skills to help save a life. Completion of the CPR/AED course provides a two-year American Red Cross Certification. Classes are available for one to six people and training can be scheduled by contacting Frank Spruill at obxcprinc@gmail.com.