June 01, 2019 – Did you know? Only about 46 percent of people who experience an out of hospital cardiac arrest receive the immediate help that they need before professional help arrives. Can you be counted on to perform CPR in an emergency? Take some time this summer to learn the life-saving skill.

 Do you know the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest?

The term "heart attack" is often mistakenly used to describe cardiac arrest. While a heart attack may cause cardiac arrest and sudden death, the terms don't mean the same thing. Heart attacks are caused by a blockage that stops blood flow to the heart. A heart attack (or myocardial infarction) refers to death of heart muscle tissue due to the loss of blood supply, not necessarily resulting in the death of the heart attack victim.

Use our Find a Course tool to locate an AHA Training Center in your area that offers classroom and skills sessions.

 Our Why:

About 70 percent of out of hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes. If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend.

CPR, especially if performed immediately, can triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.

Our Work:

National CPR & AED Awareness Week is June 1-7. During this time, we shine a spotlight on how lives can be saved if more Americans know CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). 

Reinforcing these skills but also placing importance on the willingness of bystanders to act in a cardiac arrest emergency can help achieve our goal of doubling the bystander CPR rate by 2020.

In 2009, the American Heart Association launched a nationwide Hands-Only CPR campaign to raise awareness about this life saving skill. The campaign is supported nationally by an educational grant from the Anthem Foundation.

Since 2012, nearly 10.1 million people have been trained in Hands-Only CPR via events, training kiosks and video education with the Anthem Foundation’s support.