Sponsored by: American Heart Association

Cardiac arrest is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have been diagnosed with heart disease. It can come on suddenly or in the wake of other symptoms. Every year, more than 350,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur, with about 70% of those happening in homes. According to the American Heart Association, about 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die, often because those around the victim do not know how to respond.

So, the odds are, if you’re ever called upon to respond to a cardiac arrest, it’ll be to save the life of someone you know and love. Would you know what to do?

This February during American Heart Month, the American Heart Association sheds light on the importance of knowing Hands-Only CPR by urging every family and home to have someone who knows CPR.

CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival. Hands-Only CPR involves two simple steps and anyone can learn it from a 60-second video available at heart.org/handsonlycpr:

· Step 1: If a teen or adult in your home suddenly collapses, call 911 immediately.

· Step 2: Place one hand on top of the other as shown in the video and push hard and fast on the victim’s chest. Learn more about CPR and how you can Be the Beat for someone you love at www.heart.org or by downloading this Fact Sheet.