Your Voice: Bystanders can aid in cardiac emergencies by using Compression-only CPR

The Town of Lebanon in conjunction with the Lebanon Rescue Department became a HeartSafe Community in 2006 at the Gold Standard.

With this designation we assessed many emergency response calls to include stroke, diabetic emergencies, Cardiac emergencies and Cardiac arrest. With this data compiled, it will allow us to better serve the community in emergency care and provide the training and education for the department and allow us as a service to provide community education.

The topic this quarter is cardiac arrest

The Cardiac arrest survival rates reflect the quality of emergency care provided within a community. Ultimately survival from sudden cardiac arrest depends on what transpires at each level of care in the system. This includes bystander action, dispatch response, coordination of care provided by first responders and transport agencies, care received at the hospital emergency department and post arrest resuscitation protocols.  2013 national survival rates average about 10.5 percent but even in the best systems the overall survival rate is approaching 20 percent.

There is work to be done to reach these levels among our department and Town.

Emergency medical services systems have a duty to examine the response to sudden cardiac arrest in their response system. One of the most powerful ways to begin is to leverage the assistance of bystanders who witness sudden cardiac arrest.  If bystander CPR is administered quickly, it can double or even triple a victim’s chance of survival. Aggressive, dispatch-assisted CPR for compressions only CPR can be the catalyst that enables bystanders to act quickly.

One of our biggest barriers to bystanders performing CPR is their fears that they would not perform CPR correctly. Research finds that “Compressions only CPR” is simple and effective. In fact, studies have shown that even when CPR is given to those who did not need it, the benefits far outweighed any risks. Emergency medical services must impart an expectation that bystanders assist by providing chest compressions until emergency medical services arrives.

The Town of Lebanon Rescue Department would like to emphasize the importance of bystander CPR, and we encourage the residents in our community to double or triple victims chances of survival by providing “Compressions only CPR” when someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest.

Residents in the community are valuable links in the chain of survival.  If you would like more information on compressions only CPR classes or would like a CPR/First Aid class for your business please email us at training@lebanonrescue.org   

- Kevin Romano AAS, NRP, I/C,

Captain of Operations/Training/Community Education

Lebanon Rescue Department