The Community is a First Responder

On January 2nd, 2023 Damar Hamlin collapsed during an NFL Monday Night Football Game and required CPR on the field.  Since then he has made improvements and was discharged after being sedated, intubated, and treated. 

A heart attack is when blood flow to the heart is blocked. Sudden cardiac arrest is when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating. Heart attacks increase the risk for sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest is the third leading cause of death in the United States. And 70% of cardiac arrests outside of the hospital OCCUR AT HOME. Unfortunately 90% of people DIE in out of hospital cardiac arrest

But CPR can double or triple a persons changes of survival if started immediately! Only 65% of people in the US say they've received CPR training at some point and ONLY 18% of people are up to date on their training.

While OSHA recommends, but does not require, that every workplace have at least one employee who are trained in first aid, including CPR. Many people can learn CPR from work or on their own through community organizations like American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or a local fire department.

Other instances that someone may need CPR is choking or opioid overdoses. Choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury death. Deaths from choking most often occur in the very young (<2yo) and in the elderly (>75yo).

The Heimlich maneuver is the technique used to help those choking and CPR is used when the you can not dislodge the object or the person loses consciousness.

In Michigan, there were 2,809 overdose deaths in 2021. That was 2.5% greater than 2020 and 19% greater than 2019. In 2021, Genesee County had 148 people passed away from an overdose, and there were 1,708 ED visits for a suspected overdose.

Naloxone is the treatment used to help reverse opioid overdose and CPR is used if someone is unresponsive until help arrives. Naloxone or Narcan is available at many pharmacies and community centers in Genesee County.