What would you do if someone went into cardiac arrest while you're out this Labor Day?
Forget the old mouth-to-mouth resuscitation method. UW Hospital ER specialist Dr. Darren Bean says CPR should be your first choice.
Dr. Bean, who's also the Medical Director for the Madison Fire Department, says without CPR, the likelihood of recovery from what he calls a witness cardiac arrest is unlikely.
Dr. Bean says studies show chest compression, or CPR, is most effective because it keeps blood flowing. And CPR is something everyone can learn. He says you can be taught effective CPR in about fifteen minutes.
Defibrillators are excellent Dr. Bean says but only if they can be hooked up in the first three minutes of an attack. That can't always happen if you're away from a controlled environment like a gym or airport where defibrillators can be used quickly.
You may never have to use CPR but if you do, you could save a life.
