Saturday, October 18, 2008

'Stayin’ Alive' Tune Can Save Lives

Friday, October 17, 2008 9:54 AM

U.S. doctors have found the Bee Gees 1977 disco anthem "Stayin' Alive" provides an ideal beat to follow while performing chest compressions as part of CPR on a heart attack victim.

The American Heart Association calls for chest compressions to be given at a rate of 100 per minute in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). "Stayin' Alive" almost perfectly matches that, with 103 beats per minute.

CPR is a lifesaving technique involving chest compressions alone or with mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing. It is used in emergencies such as cardiac arrest in which a person's breathing or heartbeat has stopped.

CPR can triple survival rates, but some people are reluctant to do it in part because they are unsure about the proper rhythm for chest compressions. But research has shown many people do chest compressions too slowly during CPR... (more)


1 comment:

swissmiss said...

I almost put this on my blog. Our local news station mentioned that the beat to Queen's, "Another One Bites the Dust" works equally as well, but the name is probably a little off-putting considering the circumstances :)