Teachable Minutes: Cardiac Arrest and Hands-Only CPR

Gary Heigel EMS instructor at RCC posing in front of a training ambulance

Hello, this is Gary in the Emergency Services Department at Rogue Community College. Have you heard of hands-only CPR? Most people who die from a cardiac arrest at home, at work or in a public location, die because they don’t receive immediate CPR from someone on scene.

Many people are not willing to do mouth to mouth on a stranger or are concerned that they will do something wrong. We now know that the most important part of CPR is the compressions. If you see a teenager or adult who suddenly collapses and is unresponsive, call 911 and start compressions by pushing hard and fast on the center of the chest.

911 dispatchers can also provide guidance and instructions to help you. Immediate CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival!

At RCC, we train EMTs and paramedics in how to recognize and treat these life-threatening emergencies. But to have the best chance of survival, CPR must be started right away. RCC also offers CPR classes every term, and we encourage everybody to learn CPR.