How your favorite songs can help in an emergency
If you witness someone in cardiac arrest, it’s important to quickly jump into action and begin performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Though, it’s important to provide CPR compressions that aren’t too fast or too slow. That’s where a catchy song may come in handy.
“The goal of CPR is to help circulate blood until medical professionals can take over,” explains Lisa Krch, a CPR instructor at Advocate Health Care. “Proper CPR involves delivering chest compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 beats per minute.”
Singing or humming your favorite song can help you deliver the right number of compressions and at the right speed. Of course, not every song has the right pace.
Krch recommends the following CPR-compatible songs:
- “Dancing Queen” by ABBA
- “Stayin’ Alive” by Bee Gees
- “The Man” by Taylor Swift
- “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé
If you’re not familiar with these songs, The American Heart Association (AHA) has many additional CPR song recommendations.
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Other than beats per minute, it’s important to use proper technique. This includes centering both of your hands on the chest with your shoulders directly over your hands. Your elbows should be locked, and compressions should be about two inches deep.
“Performing CPR immediately allows the remaining oxygen to circulate through the body and can bridge the time until help arrives,” says Dr. Elizabeth Regan, an emergency medicine physician at Advocate Health Care. “The AHA has found that bystander CPR can double or triple the chances of survival when a person has a cardiac arrest outside of a health care facility, which applies to 70-90% of cardiac arrests.”
Dr. Regan also recommends becoming familiar with how to use and locate an automated external defibrillator (AED). The lifesaving measure delivers an electric shock to restart the heart during cardiac arrest.
If you are interested in learning CPR, you can find training courses from the AHA, American Red Cross, government organizations and various local community groups.
Want to learn more about your risk for heart disease? Take a free online quiz.
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About the Author
Anna Kohler, health enews contributor, is an external communications specialist for Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care. She received her bachelor's degree in public relations from Illinois State University and has worked in health care public relations and content marketing for over five years. In her free time, she enjoys working out, exploring new places with her friends and family, and keeping up with the latest social media trends.
I have taught kids to sing “Baby Shark.” It has that same tempo. Also, Charli XCX’s “360.” As a drumming member of a bagpipe band, I can do “Scotland the Brave” at 100 bpm.