‘Save Your Heart’ Event On February 17

Evolution Healing Centre will be hosting a drop-in event on Friday [Feb 17] from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

A spokesperson said, “February is Heart Month; this is when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health. The international focus this year is on cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR].

“CPR is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Performing immediate CPR and using a defibrillator can double or triple the chances of survival after cardiac arrest. A sudden cardiac arrest is when an irregular heart rhythm causes a loss of the heart’s activity. The person becomes unconscious, has difficulty breathing, and their pulse stops. This is a medical emergency and if a person does not receive immediate treatment this can lead to death.

“Globally, cardiac arrest claims more lives than colorectal, breast and prostate cancer, influenza, pneumonia, road traffic accidents, HIV, firearms, and house fires combined. Statistics taken from the United States reported that in one year 436,000 Americans die from cardiac arrest alone.

“Most cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital and only about 40% of these people get immediate help before a healthcare professional arrives. The time it takes to begin CPR has the greatest impact on survival.

“Therefore, it is important as a community that we start, deliver, and maintain high quality CPR until help arrives and can identify the signs of cardiac arrest. If you are in doubt, call the emergency services on 911. Getting treatment as quickly as possible is key. There are still challenges with the delivery of CPR, with the chances of bystanders remaining low.

“Studies have reported that some of the barriers for bystanders to perform CPR are that they may struggle to know the signs of cardiac arrest, that there is a fear of causing harm, worrying that they do not have the right skills, and there may be emotional stress.

“Here are some of the signs if you suspect someone might be experiencing cardiac arrest:

• Did the person collapse suddenly?

• Is there a sudden loss of responsiveness? The person does not respond even if you speak loudly [ask them if they are okay] or if you tap or shake them hard on the shoulder. The person does not move, speak, blink, or otherwise react to you.

• Is there no normal breathing or no pulse? The person is not breathing or is only gasping for air. The person does not have a pulse.

“What should I do next if you suspect someone has had a cardiac arrest [and you do not know CPR]?

• 1. Ensure the scene is safe for you to enter.

• 2. Check for a response from the person [speak loudly, tap, or shake them hard on the shoulder]

• 3. Shout for help: call 911 or tell someone around you to call 911. Ask that person to get an automated external defibrillator [AED] or ask if anyone knows CPR. Tell them to hurry – time is critical.

• 4. Check the person for not breathing or only gasping for air.

“If you are trained in CPR, you should then:

“Begin high quality CPR. Use an AED. Continue CPR: until the person starts to breathe or move, or until someone with more advanced training, such as an emergency medical services team member, can take over.

“As a community, it is crucial to understand the importance of CPR and the signs of cardiac arrest. This will not be a training session of CPR, but we will have further information for you to sign up. With this in mind, we are pleased to host a drop-in event at the Queen Elizabeth Park from the Queen Street entrance, Hamilton on Friday 17th February. The event will run from 2.30-4.30 pm.

“We invite you to visit us to ask questions and gain information about heart health and CPR. On hand to help will be senior physiotherapists Kim Watkins and Sandro Fubler from Evolution Healing Centre. We look forward to meeting you.

“If you would like to talk about this, please reach out to Evolution Healing Centre on 734-2772 or email at admin@bpralliance.com.”

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