Disco Can Save Lives!

Yeah, you read that correctly. Disco can save lives. Or at least, “Staying Alive” by the Bee Gees can.

How? By using the beat of “Staying Alive” to maintain a steady rate of chest compressions during hands-only CPR. Don’t believe me? Check out the video after the jump:

     The American Heart Association has introduced a new form of CPR designed for use by the general public. You no longer have to be certified in conventional CPR with breaths to help save a life. It is very important to note, however, that this hands-only CPR is for use on adults only.

     Hands-only CPR provides an alternative to people who want to help in an emergency but are afraid of making a bad situation worse. On their website, the AHA says in big, red lettering: “Don’t be afraid. Your actions can only help.” By educating the general public about this, the hope is that more people will receive life-saving CPR. It may seem a little strange to those of us who have gone through CPR certification that breaths are no longer top priority, but the AHA addresses that and other questions here.

     AHA also has a mobile app for quick access to the proper rate of compressions for iPhone, Android, and Palm Pre.

     Another thought on the feeling of not wanting to step in…I know that a lot of people are worried about getting sued in this day and age. Now, I am not a legal expert, but I do know that Maryland has a “Good Samaritan” law on the books that protects people who help during an emergency, provided that the aid is provided in a reasonably prudent matter, without fee or other compensation, and that care of the victim is released to a licensed medical personnel when they arrive. (Subsection C of Md. COURTS AND JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS Code Ann. §  5-603.)

Search for the whole text here. 

Obviously, it ends up being a personal decision whether or not to step in. If you decide to help, remember “Staying Alive”! 

By Kayla Murphy