American Heart Association and Weber Chevrolet Unveil Hands-Only CPR Training Kiosk at West County Center to Help Public Learn a Life-saving Skill

ST. LOUIS, March 22, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- St. Louisans and all who visit West County Center can learn Hands-Only CPR in about five minutes, where a new interactive kiosk will teach this effective bystander CPR skill. The West County Center kiosk is the first in St. Louis where a Hands-Only CPR training kiosk will reside, courtesy of the American Heart Association and Weber Chevrolet. The kiosk will be unveiled at 1:00 p.m. today at West County Center in Des Peres, MO. The kiosk is on Level 2 near Nordstrom in front of aerie.

Every year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital and more than 20 percent occur in public places like airports, casinos and sporting facilities. The Hands-Only CPR education available at each kiosk helps users understand how they can immediately help a person who experiences a cardiac emergency outside of a hospital.

The kiosk features a touch screen with a video program that provides a brief introduction and overview of Hands-Only CPR, followed by a practice session and a 30-second test session. With the help of a practice manikin, or a rubber torso, the kiosk gives feedback about the depth and rate of compressions and proper hand placement ? factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR.  The entire training takes about five minutes.

"Cardiac arrest remains a leading cause of death in the United States, and survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby," said Sandra Van Trease, American Heart Association Midwest Affiliate Board member.  "Although in-person training is still the best way to learn the skills necessary for high-quality CPR, the kiosk will provide additional training that could make a difference and save the life of someone you love." 

"About 90 percent of cardiac arrest victims die, often because bystanders don't know how to start CPR or are afraid they'll do something wrong," said Van Trease.  "Bystander CPR, especially if administered immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival, which is why the Hands-Only CPR education available at the kiosk is so valuable.  In just a matter of a few minutes, people will learn a skill that can potentially make a difference in the lives of those they love most as well as others."

The two simple steps of Hands-Only CPR are: if a bystander sees a teen or adult collapse, he or she should first call 9-1-1. Then push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of "Stayin' Alive," which has 100 beats per minute (bpm). The Bee Gees' song has the minimum rate you should push on the chest during Hands-Only CPR.

"The kiosks will help the community understand how simple it is to perform the two steps of Hands-Only CPR, which will hopefully help reduce some of the trepidation that people have about performing bystander CPR," said Skip Weber, of Weber Chevrolet and kiosk sponsor.  "After completing the kiosk training, we hope people will feel empowered knowing they are taking the first steps in learning a critical skill."

In 2016, the American Heart Association and the Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc., introduced Hands-Only CPR Training Kiosks.  To learn more about the Hands-Only CPR campaign and learn how to save a life, visit www.heart.org/handsonlycpr or facebook.com/AHACPR.

About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke ? America's No. 1 and No. 4 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. As part of our dedication to save lives, we are setting out to train all Americans in lifesaving Hands-Only CPR. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.

About West County Center
West County Center is St. Louis' premier fashion destination. Featuring Missouri's first Nordstrom, West County Center is also home to great retail including: Apple, Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers, Michael Kors, The North Face, Sephora and more.  The center is located conveniently at the intersection of I-270 and Manchester Road.  For more information, please call 314.288.2020, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WestCountyCenter or visit www.ShopWestCountyCenter.com.  West County Center is owned and managed by CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.              

SOURCE American Heart Association