CPR First Aid | Training CPR rescuers, one traveler at a time

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CPR First Aid Training CPR rescuers, one
traveler at a time
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There are currently 16 Hands-Only CPR training
kiosks nationwide. (Photo by Red Shoe Production
Agency for American Heart Association
News) After Indianapolis International Airport
installed a Hands-Only CPR training kiosk in
March 2016, Juan Muñoz, a police officer at the
airport, made it a regular stop as he patrolled
the terminals, trying it a couple times a
week. The interactive program, which measures
quality of compression depth and pace, as well as
hand position, sparked a competitive spirit in
Muñoz, who kept trying to improve his
results. I just kept practicing until I
perfected it, said Muñoz, who is required to
undergo CPR certification every two years.
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A month later, on April 5, those skills were put
to the test when a passenger alerted Muñoz to a
woman in cardiac distress. As he approached, the
woman lost consciousness and Muñoz immediately
began Hands-Only CPR while another officer went
to get an automated external defibrillator, or
AED. Paramedics arrived within a few minutes and
revived her with the AED. She was taken to the
hospital and survived, Muñoz later learned. Muñoz
said the practice he got using the kiosk gave him
confidence to use his skills effectively. With
the kiosk, you can keep trying until you get it
right, he said. You dont realize how hard and
how deep you have to press. There are now 16
training kiosks at airports and other public
places nationwide. The latest opened Thursday at
Philadelphia Independence Visitor Center.
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The kiosks were developed by the American Heart
Association and launched through a partnership
with the Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm
of Anthem Inc. Airports are a crossroads of
people going everywhere, said Clifton Callaway,
M.D., Ph.D., a professor of emergency medicine at
the University of Pittsburgh. The kiosks can
train people who are going to all parts of the
world. In the U.S. alone, more than 350,000
people have a cardiac arrest outside a hospital
each year, but only about half get CPR from a
bystander. CPR can double or triple a persons
chance of survival, especially if performed
within the first few minutes of cardiac
arrest. You cant just wait for professional
responders because they cant get there in those
critical first few minutes, said Callaway, who
is immediate past chair of AHAs Emergency
Cardiovascular Care committee. Youre really
buying time for those citizens until first
responders arrive.
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The kiosks were first introduced in 2013 with a
location at DFW International Airport.
Participants use a touch screen to watch a brief
instruction video about Hands-Only CPR, followed
by a practice session using a rubber manikin
torso. A 30-second hands-on test offers feedback
about the depth and rate of compressions and
proper hand placement, key factors that influence
the effectiveness of CPR. As of September, the
kiosks also provide the training in
Spanish. People are afraid and think CPR can
only be done by a professional, but thats the
furthest thing from the truth, said Ahamed
Idris, M.D., a professor of emergency medicine
and internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical
Center in Dallas. Hes also the senior author of
a recent study that found the kiosk at DFW
airport had more than 23,000 visits during a
32-month period. More kiosk deployments are in
the works, according to the AHA, which each year
trains an estimated 21 million people worldwide
in CPR. Along with training, Callaway said the
kiosks serve as a constant reminder to take
action during a cardiac emergency.
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Its just like walking past a fire extinguisher
at work every day, he said. We want people to
immediately remember what to do, just like they
know to pull the fire alarm and use an
extinguisher. At the Indianapolis airport,
Muñoz still regularly stops by the kiosk to test
his skills, and encourages travelers lingering
nearby to give it a try. You never know when you
may need to save a life, he said. Learn more
about CPR First Aid. Bergenfield, NJ, Jersey
City, NJ, Livingston, NJ, and Queens, New
York. Source newsarchive.heart.org