The busy holiday season kicked in and so did the threat of the holiday heart attack.
Research done several years ago and published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, found more heart-related deaths on Christmas, the day after and on New Year's Day.
Another study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed in cases where the heart stopped suddenly, a condition called Sudden Cardiac Arrest, survival improves if someone quickly starts CPR.
The Arizona Department of Public Health reported "when bystanders used the new chest-compression-only CPR, patients had a much better chance of living when compared to folks that were given the old fashioned CPR (the kind with chest compressions interrupted by mouth-to-mouth.)"
"The ones who do receive bystander CPR, they're chances of survival increase. It doubles or even triples," agreed Michelle Sension, RN, BSN, at The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano.
Sension wants people to know that learning the new hands-only CPR is as easy as knowing the disco song Stayin' Alive by the the Bee Gees.
"You know at the time of an emergency, you're gonna be really nervous and all the adrenaline running through your body but if you just sing the 'Stayin' Alive' song by the Bee Gees and try to time your compressions with it, you save a life," said Sension.
The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano teaches free CPR classes, you can ask about the schedule for the once-a-month public classes by calling 1-800-4BAYLOR.
MedStar Emergency Medical Services and The American Heart Association also has information.
