American Heart Association Teaches Manhattan Residents the Two Simple Steps of Hands-Only™ CPR to the Beat of "Stayin' Alive"

NEW YORK, May 27, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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 2-8), the American Heart Association and Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation have teamed up to continue the national awareness campaign and ongoing mobile tour teaching Americans how to perform Hands-Only CPR to the beat of the Bee Gees' hit "Stayin' Alive."

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death with nearly 420,000 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 percent for every minute that goes by without intervention. 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.

"Hands-Only CPR is a powerful, life-saving skill," said Dr. Lawrence Phillips, Director of Nuclear Cardiology at NYU Langone Medical Center and member of the American Heart Association's Board of Directors in New York City.  "If you begin Hands-Only CPR to the beat of the Bee Gees' 'Stayin' Alive' immediately on a teen or adult who collapses from sudden cardiac arrest, you can double or triple their chances of survival."

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

With the support of the Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation, the American Heart Association launched a 3-year national campaign and mobile tour in June 2012 to raise awareness of Hands-Only CPR as a lifesaving method and way to increase the likelihood of people feeling confident enough to perform CPR in an emergency. The interactive Hands-Only CPR mobile tour will visit the last eight cities of the 24 city tour through the Fall of 2014 to teach thousands of people the two simple steps to save a life. 

The AHA's Hands-Only CPR tour will make a stop in Manhattan for an interactive training event on June 3, 2014 to teach residents this easy-to-learn CPR method.  The event will take place at the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center at 1 Clarkson Street.

"Empire BlueCross BlueShield's mission is to enhance and support the health and well-being of individuals and families, so a program like this is a natural fit for us, said Brian Griffin, President, Empire BlueCrossBlue Shield.  "We are very excited to bring this innovative program to our state. Far too many people succumb unnecessarily each year from sudden cardiac arrest, and we are committed to helping improve this public health crisis."

As part of the third year of the national Hands-Only CPR campaign, the American Heart Association will debut the new "Hands-Only CPR Mash-Up" along with digital promotions and a one-minute Hands-Only CPR demo video to train Americans in the life-saving technique.

• Hands-Only CPR Demo Video
  Eighty percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in private or residential settings. The life you save with CPR will most likely be a loved one. Would you be prepared to act if someone you love or a stranger collapses from cardiac arrest? Watch and 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.
• Hands-Only CPR Lifesaver Mash-up
  Hands-Only CPR has just two simple steps. If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse,
  (1) Call 9-1-1; and
  (2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the Bee Gees' classic disco song "Stayin' Alive" or the new Hands-Only CPR mash-up. Both songs are at least 100 beats per minute – the rate you should push on the chest during Hands-Only CPR.
  Visit heart.org/handsonlycpr to see the new awareness-building Mash-up video on June 2!

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

About the American Heart Association
For more information about the American Heart Association please visit heart.org 

About Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation
Through charitable grant making, the Empire BlueCross BlueShield Foundation and the Empire BlueCross Foundation, trade names of the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation L.L.C., independent licensees of the BlueCross BlueShield Association, serving residents and businesses in the 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York State, promotes Empire's inherent commitment to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Empire serves. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company's annual associate giving campaign and its parent foundation provides a 50 percent match of associates' campaign pledges.

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SOURCE American Heart Association