Courtesy of American Heart Association, Orange County, California.
“Landing in John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, I came across a great Hands-Only CPR training kiosk by the American Heart Association,” said heart attack survivor Steven Munatones.
The creatively designed, easy-to-understand, interactive machines can easily teach travelers of all ages and from all walks of life how to conduct CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) within five minutes.
The American Heart Association, a voluntary health organization devoted to fighting cardiovascular disease, installed three Hands-Only CPR training kiosks at John Wayne Airport with the support from the Argyros Family Foundation, McCarthy Building Companies, the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation, and the CareMore Foundation.
Travelers waiting at the baggage claim at John Wayne Airport and 10 other airports around the United States can use their time wisely – learning how to grasp the simplicity and potential of an extremely valuable skill. The kiosk makes it so easy to quickly – and enjoyably – learn CPR. An animation explains where to place your hands on the chest of the dummy and how fast and how quickly deeply to push. If you push too slowly or too shallowly, the kiosk tells you. If you push too quickly or too deeply, the kiosk provides you with feedback.
After only a few tries, the skill is committed to muscle memory.
A skill that is literally lifesaving.
More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals from homes to golf courses. About 70,000 people have heart attacks in public places such as airports and city streets. Knowing CPR – and enabling blood flow to the brain and vital organs of victim’s body in the minutes right after a heart attack and before first responders arrive can triple a victim’s chance of survival.
My son did the same for me. I just collapsed at home without warning. He came to my rescue at a time when my heart stopped and I was not breathing. He did what he had to do. He was and is my hero.
Other people can – and do – become heroes and heroines at the most unexpected times.
“At McCarthy, we pride ourselves in building stronger communities and that includes helping to ensure the health and safety of those who live and work in the communities where we operate,” said kiosk sponsor Mike Bolen of McCarthy Building Companies. “This CPR kiosk will create thousands of potential lifesavers and we’re thrilled to play a part in making that happen.”
“The Argyros Family Foundation is proud to help bring these life-saving CRP kiosks to Orange County,” said Julia Argyros of the Argyros Family Foundation. “CPR is proven to save lives.”
Hands-Only CPR has two steps: when you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 911. Then, push hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 beats per minute until help arrives.
“Hands-Only CPR helps saves lives. Bystander CPR, especially if administered immediately, can double or triple a cardiac victim’s chance of survival, which is why the Hands-Only CPR education available at the kiosk is so valuable,” said Brian Ternan of Anthem Blue Cross. “Now, in just a matter of a few minutes, John Wayne airport travelers will learn a skill that can potentially make a lifesaving difference in the lives of Orange County residents and beyond.”
The kiosk has a touch screen with a short video that provides an overview of Hands-Only CPR, followed by a practice session and a 30-second test. With the help of a practice manikin in the form of a rubber human torso, the kiosk gives feedback about the depth and rate of compressions, as well as proper hand placement – factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR.
“In only about five minutes, travelers who may have some downtime at the airport can learn how to perform CPR,” said Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel.
Since the program started, more than 61,000 visitors have used the kiosks. “Our nation’s airports have proven to be a great way to extend our educational campaign to train people on the lifesaving skill of Hands-Only CPR and, help meet the Association’s goal to double bystander response by 2020,” said Kathy Rogers of the American Heart Association. “By expanding the availability of the training kiosks, we’re hopeful that more people will feel confident to administer Hands-Only CPR on a stranger or someone they love.”
Researchers evaluated data from the American Heart Association’s pilot kiosk at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport during a 32-month period. The study showed nearly 23,500 visitors used the kiosk from 2013 to 2016. “Only 46% of people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive bystander CPR before professional help arrives,” described Rogers. “The airport kiosks have proven to be an invaluable approach to introduce CPR to people, making it more likely they’ll respond if they encounter a cardiac arrest victim outside the hospital.”
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