(NewMediaWire) - June 11, 2024 - DALLAS — The American Heart Association and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have equipped more athletes and their families to be confident and capable when faced with a cardiac emergency, adding more people to the Association’s Nation of Lifesavers™ movement. Monday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla., players and parents attending the 30th year of the TOP 100 Elite High School Basketball Camp (TOP 100) learned Hands-Only CPR.
Instruction of this lifesaving skill was added to this year’s TOP 100 curriculum, which emphasizes character, education and skill development as the core principles necessary to maximize a player’s potential. Joined by NBA players Keyontae Johnson and Jared Butler, participants learned the correct rate and depth of CPR compressions to be confident and capable when faced with a cardiac emergency. Compression-only CPR, known as Hands-Only CPR, can be equally effective as traditional CPR in the first few minutes of emergency response and is a skill everyone can learn.
“As we celebrate 100 years of lifesaving work, it remains mission critical for the American Heart Association to teach the vital and extraordinary skill of CPR to everyone, everywhere as we work to increase the chain of survival when seconds matter," said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “Knowing how to respond in a cardiac emergency when seconds matter is literally the difference between life and death. We are so proud to support the National Basketball Players Association to add more lifesavers in the community.”
According to American Heart Association data, nine out of every ten people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
For more than six decades, the American Heart Association has published official guidelines for CPR and has led the way as the global leader in resuscitation science, education, and training. More than 350,000 people in the U.S. have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest every year. With nearly three out of four cardiac arrests outside of the hospital occurring in homes, knowing how to perform CPR is critically important.
The Nation of Lifesavers™ movement is the Association’s most recent commitment to CPR with the declaration to double survival rates of cardiac arrest by 2030. Cardiac arrest survivor and Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, serves as the national ambassador. Hamlin suffered sudden cardiac arrest in January 2023 on Monday Night Football. He received CPR and AED live on television as in-stadium attendees and viewers at home watched those very first links in the chain of survival working. In this role, Hamlin has supported efforts to increase CPR education through public service announcements and in-person training, and advocated for federal policy change to increase access to AEDs. The Access to AEDs Act would create a grant program for K-12 schools to provide CPR and AED training, purchase AEDs and create cardiac emergency response plans that establish specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest in school settings.
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- Multimedia is available on the right column of the release link.
- Bystander CPR | Bystander CPR Infographic (PDF)
- Hands-Only CPR Resources
- Hands-Only CPR vs CPR with Breaths
- Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack
- Reducing Disparities for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest – Community Toolkit: English and Spanish versions available
- Take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life at www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for a century. During 2024 - our Centennial year - we celebrate our rich 100-year history and accomplishments. As we forge ahead into our second century of bold discovery and impact our vision is to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
For Media Inquiries:
Linzy Cotaya: 504-872-3446; linzy.cotaya@heart.org
For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and stroke.org
