Save lives: CPR is easier than you remember
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If Bronny James hadn't received immediate medical attention after going into cardiac arrest on Monday, the outcome might have been different.
Why it matters: Life and death for someone going into cardiac arrest could come down to how fast they get CPR, an emergency procedure that might look different than you remember.
Driving the news: The son of NBA legend LeBron James suffered cardiac arrest this week at basketball practice, one year after another USC basketball player, Vince Iwuchukwu, had a similar experience.
- NFL player Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after taking a hit to the chest during a routine tackle in January, and Denmark soccer player Christian Eriksen was resuscitated after he collapsed on the pitch in 2021.
What they're saying: Although the topic has made headlines recently, young athletes suffering cardiac arrest is "not a new phenomenon," Lawrence Phillips, sports cardiologist at NYU Langone Health, tells Axios.
- And it can be fatal. For example, Boston Celtics guard Reggie Lewis died from cardiac arrest in 1993 at age 27.
Chances of recovering from cardiac arrest are largely connected to how fast someone gets care.
- If someone gets CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) early, that could double or triple their chance of survival. Every minute CPR is delayed, a victim's chance of surviving decreases by 10%, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
- If available, defibrillators can also be immediate lifesaving tools.
- Trained medical professionals still use rescue breaths, but other people are encouraged to use only chest compressions, Phillips says.
Between the lines: CPR doesn't have to include the mouth-to-mouth part.
- In 2008, the AHA started recommending that bystanders skip the breaths and use "hands-only" CPR to help someone who suddenly collapses, for two main reasons.
- One: CPR without breaths is easy to learn — no hours-long class required.
- Two: Bystanders will be quicker to help if they're not concerned about something like communicable diseases, Phillips says.
What's happening: Cardiac arrest occurs when there's an irregular heartbeat that disrupts the flow of blood to someone's vital organs, and "because of that lack of blood flow, they collapse, and essentially have died," Phillips says.
- If a victim is down and unresponsive, the rule of thumb is to immediately call 911 and start CPR.
- Chest compressions can save lives by "helping the heart pump when it's not able to," Phillips says.
How to do CPR: Interlace your hands, and start rapidly and forcefully pressing the middle of the chest, Phillips says.
- Your hands should be below the nipples and above the bottom of the sternum, continuously pushing with "as much pressure as you're able to apply."
- The classic CPR tip is to pump to the beat of the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive."
- Do compressions until emergency help arrives.
Of note: Though rare, sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
By the numbers: The American Heart Association says more than 40% of cardiac arrests that occur outside of hospitals happen in the home.
- Only about 40% of people who experience cardiac arrest away from the hospital receive immediate help, according to the AHA.
- And about 90% of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die, the organization says.
Bottom line: Learning CPR could help you save a life.
Go deeper: AHA on how to do hands-only CPR
