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2015 AHA Guidelines for CPR & ECC

The 2015 Guidelines Update for CPR and ECC was published on October 15, 2015, in the journal Circulation. To access the 2015 Guidelines, visit 2015eccguidelines.heart.org.

Why You Should Learn CPR
Cardiac arrest - an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and disrupts the flow of blood to the brain, lungs and other organs - is a leading cause of death. Each year, over 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States. When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby.

• Only about 46 percent of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive the  immediate help that they need before professional help arrives.
• About 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes. If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend.
• CPR, especially if performed immediately, can triple a cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival.

Hands-Only CPR Can Save Lives

• Hands-Only CPR has just two easy steps: If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, (1) Call 911; and (2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the disco song "Stayin' Alive." 
• People feel more confident performing Hands-Only CPR and are more likely to remember the correct rate when trained to the beat of a familiar song. 
• During CPR, you should push on the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. The beat of "Stayin' Alive" is a perfect match for this. 
  
• Watch the 90-second Hands-Only CPR video and share it with the important people in your life.

Looking for a copy of your eCard? If you are unable to locate a copy of your eCard, please visit www.heart.org/cpr/mycards to print a copy.