Med students hope people will learn CPR and potentially save a life
Saturday was the final day of World Restart a Heart Week and McGill University medical students and professionals were spreading the word that anyone can save a life with a little bit of CPR training.
The student-run project offered participants free CPR training all week.
Olympian and physician Joannie Rochette's mother had a heart attack at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and she recounted the terrible story.
"You can double or triple their chance of survival by doing CPR," she said.
Dr. Farhan Bhanji reminded the group that you don't have to be fully trained in CPR to help.
"If you don't do anything, you're hurting them," he said. "Their chance of survival drops by about 7-10 per cent every minute that CPR and an AED - automated external defibrillator - is delayed. You need to act in that moment. The ambulance won't get there in time, other people might not get there, we need you to act in that moment."
As part of the project, participants practiced chest compressions and learned about the AED.
"They think it's an important life skill and it's given them a bit of confidence," said McGill med student Mehdi Hegagi. "It's not a full course but it's a nice short overview on how to do it, so if there's nobody else around, they can step in and do some CPR."
Experts say it is often someone you know who needs help.
"The majority of sudden cardiac arrests happen outside of the hospital and, even more so, at home, so the person who is going to have the highest impact on survival is not the health-care worker it's going to be the loved one," said McGill med student Carla Apostolova.
The students also made a video to get people feeling confident they can help by using the AED.
"You should never hesitate even if you haven't had prior training, which helps because it looks complicated to use, but it really has two buttons: ON and SHOCK," said emergency physician Dr. Francois de Champlain. "The machine will tell you if a shock is recommended. It will analyze the rhythm underlying in their person unresponsive and if a shock is advised it will tell you to push on the shock button."
Those running the project say surviving cardiac arrest shouldn't be a matter of luck.
"Ultimately the power to save a life is in your hands," said Bhanji.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.