American Heart Association: 3 ways to make summer as safe as it is fun

Offers summer safety checklist for families during CPR & AED Awareness Week, June 1-7

American Heart Association Press Release

More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the U.S. each year, and 90% of people who have a cardiac arrest will not survive. The American Heart Association, devoted to changing the future to a world of healthier lives for all, is calling on parents and families to make this summer as safe as it is fun.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 23,000 children experience cardiac arrest each year, with nearly 40% related to sports and nearly 20% occurring in infants. If performed immediately, CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival, yet less than half of people actually receive the help they need from a bystander. With school out for summer, children will be away from teachers and coaches who might be trained in CPR, making it crucial for parents to know this life-saving skill.

The AHA offers this checklist for a heart healthy summer and beyond:

•Learn CPR and join the Nation of Lifesavers. Families can take an online CPR course, watch a 60-second video to learn hands-only CPR for adults, or watch this video to learn how to save an infant or child using CPR with breaths. People interested in learning hands-only CPR can also join one of several upcoming events as part of the HeartBEAT initiative with the Buffalo Bills. For a schedule of events, visit heart.org/BuffaloBillsCPR.

•Pick one healthy habit for you and your family to work on. Staying on track with your family’s health goals during summer can be a challenge. Set manageable goals and choose one aspect of physical or mental health to focus on. The AHA’s Life’s Essential 8 are key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health throughout your life: embrace healthy eating, move your body, quit tobacco, sleep well, maintain a healthy weight, control cholesterol, keep blood sugar in check, and know the blood pressure basics. There’s even a Life’s Essential 8 for kids.

•Plan ahead. Schedule doctor’s appointments and refill prescriptions to make sure you have enough medication to get home safely if you’re traveling. Check if your summer destination has an emergency plan or cardiac emergency response plan (CERP) in place. A CERP establishes specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest in any setting – be it a school, community organization, workplace or sports facility.

“Summer is a time for fun and relaxation. It’s also a great opportunity to make sure you’re prepared in an emergency,” said Megan Vargulick, executive director of the AHA in Buffalo and Rochester. “We each have to do our part to model health for our families and communities, whether that means organizing a CPR training at work, scheduling check-ups for the family or finally quitting tobacco. With CPR Week, June 1-7, there’s no better time to commit to making this summer as safe as it is fun.”

The AHA is committed to turning a nation of bystanders into lifesavers. The long-term goal: to ensure that, in the face of a cardiac emergency, anyone, anywhere, is prepared and empowered to perform CPR and become a vital link in the chain of survival.

For additional ways to raise awareness during National CPR and AED Awareness Week, visit heart.org/nation. Nation of Lifesavers is nationally sponsored by Walgreens and locally sponsored by the Buffalo Bills.

Take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life at www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR.