Stayin' alive

If you saw a neighbour or family member collapse would you know what to do? The difference between yes and no could save their life.

Everyone should be at least somewhat familiar with CPR and first aid, but the need is especially great on farms and rural areas where professional help is often much further away than in urban centres. Recently, CPR guidelines were changed when it was found that simply doing chest compressions without applying mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was actually more effective (for adults) than the combination of the two.

The secret is in beginning chest compressions as soon as possible after a collapse and doing them properly. The part that sometimes trips people up is how fast to do compressions, but new guidelines ask that you think of the Bee Gees's disco hit "Stayin' Alive" and compress along to the beat to achieve that magical 100 beats per minute. Who knew disco could be life-saving?

Click here for a tutorial on the latest recommendations. Please take the time to watch it; it could save a life.