PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Nine out of 10 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital, and seven out of 10 happen at home. As we learned from the situation with Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin collapsing during a football game, a quick response can save a life.
For every minute defibrillation is delayed, the chances of survival go down 10%. Clearly, we need AEDs readily available at sporting events at all levels, but knowing how to administer CPR — to and help keep blood flowing through the body and to the brain — is an essential way to buy critical time.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, more than half of us know how to do CPR, but only one in 10 knows how many times per minute to perform chest compressions. (By the way, that number is about 100 to 120 per minute.)
KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.