Project Heart ReStart | CPR & AED Training

Overview

CPR and AEDs can save the life of someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. Project Heart ReStart is a community program that helps people recognize the signs of sudden cardiac arrest and provides tools to help until emergency responders arrive.

This program provides:

• AED training (a portable device that sends an electric shock to restore a normal heart rhythm, if necessary)
• CPR training (a procedure that combines rescue breathing and chest compressions)
• Increased access to AEDs in public places

Quick help from a bystander can make a big difference for people who experience heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest. Performing CPR could help save at least 25 percent more people. Using CPR and an AED together increases chances of survival to 75 percent.

When to Use CPR & an AED

When someone has a heart attack <link to Heart Attack> and is awake, they don’t need CPR or an AED. Instead, you should:

• Call 911
• Ask them to chew an aspirin
• Tell them to rest until emergency medical service (EMS) arrives

With sudden cardiac arrest, people collapse suddenly and become unresponsive. In these cases, you should:

• Call 911
• Perform CPR immediately
• Use an AED as soon as possible
• Continue AED use until an ambulance arrives

How to Use CPR & an AED

When someone has a heart attack or goes into sudden cardiac arrest, the most important thing is to try to keep their heart beating. As a bystander, you can help by performing CPR or using an AED.

CPR—Follow the American Heart Association’s two-step Hands-Only™ CPR process. After you call 911, you should:

1. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest between the nipples.
2. Press down far enough to squeeze the heart at a 100 compressions per minute pace, letting the chest fully expand between compressions.

AED—Most public buildings have an AED. Once you find it, follow these seven steps from the American Red Cross:

1. Open the person’s shirt and wipe their chest dry.
2. Attach the AED pads and, if necessary, plug in the connector cable.
3. Briefly stop compressions and follow AED instructions to “Stand Clear” or “Do not touch the person.”
4. Let AED analyze the person’s heart rhythm (press the “Analyze” button, if necessary).
5. If recommended, press the “Shock” button. If the AED automatically delivers a shock, stand clear.
6. Follow the prompt to restart compressions unless the person becomes responsive.
7. Continue to follow AED prompts, including compressions and additional shocks, until an emergency medical team arrives.