LatinaLista — If you are Latino, or Latina, and unlucky enough to suffer a heart attack while out and about with familia and friends, chances are you might not survive. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), Latinos are 30 percent less likely to have a “bystander” jump to their rescue with CPR.
Not good news since heart disease is already the #1 killer for all Americans and strokes are ranked as the fifth leading cause of death. What makes it especially dire for Latinos is that our population is at even a higher risk of cardiovascular disease because too many of us suffer from obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. The combination of ailments can be like a ticking bomb.
The AHA, along with the Anthem Foundation, thinks that if one segment of the Latino population was targeted to learn CPR, the chances of Latinos dying because no one came to the rescue would be greatly diminished. Of all the age groups most likely to apply CPR techniques in an emergency, the AHA is betting it will be Millennials.
For that reason, a new culturally relevant, 90-second video has been released this week, during National CPR & AED Awareness Week (June 1-7, 2016). Performed in Spanglish – a mix of Spanish and English – the video incorporates familiar elements of Latino culture teaching Hands-Only CPR.
“Hands-Only CPR is so simple,” said Manuel Medina, an AHA Instructor who teaches CPR and first aid through Nurses Educational Opportunities in San Diego. “First, if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 9-1-1. Then push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive” – the perfect rhythm for CPR – until help arrives.”
