The American Heart Association – the world’s leading voluntary health organization devoted to fighting cardiovascular disease – has debuted a Hands-Only CPR training kiosk with the support of the Anthem Foundation at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG) Airport.
CVG emergency responders at the unveiling of the Hands-Only CPR kiosk (provided photo).
CVG served more than 6.8 million passengers in 2016. The kiosk is located in Concourse A near gates A6-A7, and across from restaurant, The Local.
Our vision at CVG is to provide an unforgettably positive experience for our passengers,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “We’re pleased to partner with the Association in this collaborative effort to host the kiosk at the airport, as it is a resource for travelers to learn how to help others when they need it the most.”
To learn more about the Hands-Only CPR campaign and be prepared to save a life, visit heart.org/handsonlycpr or facebook.com/AHACPR.
Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside the hospital, and about 20 percent occur in public places such as airports. Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest when it occurs in public, and CPR can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival. The interactive kiosks are designed to train large numbers of people on this simple, lifesaving technique.
Hands-Only CPR has two steps, performed in this order: when you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 911. Then, push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives.
Each kiosk has a touch screen with a short video that provides an overview of Hands-Only CPR, followed by a practice session and a 30-second test. With the help of a practice manikin, or a rubber torso, the kiosk gives feedback about the depth and rate of compressions, as well as proper hand placement – factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR.
The kiosk will include features such as:
- a video that tells the story of former University of Dayton students, Matt Lickenbrock and Sean Ferguson, who are now good friends after Lickenbrock performed Hands-Only CPR on Ferguson who suffered a cardiac arrest after being struck by lightning in a campus parking lot. Lickenbrock learned Hands-Only CPR from the Association’s pilot kiosk at DFW International Airport and he later used his skills to help save Ferguson’s life;
- updated Hands-Only CPR instruction that follows 2015 Association Guidelines for CPR, which recommends that CPR chest compressions be performed at a rate of 100 to 120 beats per minute; and
- closed captioning to make the training available to everyone.
The kiosk at CVG will be one of three Association kiosks that are rolling out at U.S. airports this summer. More than 20,000 travelers have learned Hands-Only CPR from the Association kiosks supported by Anthem Foundation installed at airports in 2016.
“We’re excited about this important addition to CVG, where travelers will have the opportunity to become future lifesavers and acquire a critical skill,” said Divya Cantor, MD, Regional Vice President and Senior Clinical Officer, Anthem Foundation. “After receiving training on the kiosk, we’re hopeful more travelers will feel confident about performing the two simple steps of Hands-Only CPR because this skill may make a difference for somebody they know or love.”
Airports represent an opportune setting to train the public in Hands-Only CPR at kiosks, according to a study recently published in Resuscitation. Researchers evaluated data from the Association’s pilot kiosk at DFW International Airport during a 32-month period. The study showed there was noticeable interest by the public to learn Hands-Only CPR as nearly 23,500 visitors used the kiosk from July 2013 to Feb. 2016.
“Only 46 percent of people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive bystander CPR before professional help arrives,” said Dr. DP Suresh Cincinnati Association board member, Medical Director, Heart and Vascular at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. “The airport kiosks have proven to be an invaluable approach to introduce CPR to people, making it more likely they’ll respond if they encounter a cardiac arrest victim outside the hospital.”
In 2009, the Association launched a nationwide Hands-Only CPR campaign to raise awareness about this lifesaving skill. The campaign is supported nationally by an educational grant from the Anthem Foundation. Since 2012, nearly 9.7 million people have been trained in Hands-Only CPR via events, training kiosks and video education with the Foundation’s support.
CVG and the American Heart Association have collaborated on other projects to bring health and wellness to travelers. One successful collaboration is a walking path that extends throughout the concourses of the facility. The path is marked with directional signage making it easy for visitors to get steps in while waiting for a flight.
CVG
