Keeping your heart strong and ticking this Valentine's Day

Did you know up to 80 per cent of cardiac arrests happen at home? Learning how and when to perform CPR is crucial. 

Early and effective CPR can significantly increase a person’s chance of survival during a cardiac arrest – when the heart stops beating. Even the minimal act of performing hands-only CPR (pushing hard and fast on the centre of the chest at a rate of 100 compressions per minute) can restore blood flow to the brain and vital organs. 

Learning and performing CPR is not rocket-science. By keeping a few tips in mind, anyone can do it:

• Place hands in the Centre of the chest
• Push hard and fast – compressions should be at a rate of 100 per minute and a depth of at least  five centremetres (two inches) for adults and children
• Repeat compressions until paramedics arrive

If you notice someone is unconscious (you are unable to wake the person up), here are a few tips to remember:

• Call 911
• Send someone to get an AED if available
• Check for absent or abnormal breathing and begin CPR

Learning CPR is easy and inexpensive. Search for an accredited CPR agency in your area or visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. 

York Region’s team of 550 paramedics provide emergency response and community care to York Region residents and visitors 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.