Volunteers from the DCRI and other organizations will train fairgoers in compression-only CPR.
As part of its continued mission to spread the word about the importance of compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) through community engagement, the Regional Approach to Cardiovascular Emergencies Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation System (RACE CARS) is holding a large-scale educational effort at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh, going on now through October 26.
At last year’s event, more than 100 volunteer instructors representing the DCRI, the Duke Heart Center, and 26 other organizations from across the state staffed the RACE CARS exhibit booth for the entire 11-day run of the fair. A total of 2,738 fairgoers were trained.
The DCRI’s RACE CARS project is part of a large national initiative to improve survival from cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest survival in North Carolina is just 12 percent, and only 1 in 4 victims receive bystander CPR. The project’s goal is to reach as many North Carolinians as possible to:
- Recognize the signs of cardiac arrest
- Call 9-11
- Begin compression-only (“hands-only”) CPR until medical help arrives
If CPR isn’t started within 4 minutes, brain damage begins to occur, at 10 minutes without intervention, brain death is almost certain. Immediate bystander CPR will provide critical time-sensitive treatment for the victim until trained personnel arrive.
Past participants have commented that this “new CPR” was easy to learn and that they were more likely to perform compression-only CPR rather than the more traditional combination of compression and mouth-to-mouth procedure.