Stony Brook Prof Set to Host Largest CPR Training Event in the Country

Edward Stapleton, Associate Professor and Director of Pre-hospital Education at Stony Brook University School of Medicine’s Department of Emergency Medicine, is planning to set a record for the largest CPR training event in the United States.

On Sep. 7, Stony Brook Medicine will hold a Hands-only CPR Training Event that aims to train over 5,000 people in CPR. The free training will be held in 30-minute sessions from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Stony Brook’s LaValle Stadium.

“Hands-only CPR has just two easy steps,” Stapleton said. “If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, first, call 9-1-1 and then push hard and fast in the center of the chest.”

During Hands-only CPR, there is no use of mouth-to-mouth breathing, instead both hands are used to push hard and fast in a rhythmic motion in the center of the victim’s chest. Training is necessary to ensure proper technique.

“It’s helpful to keep pushing to the beat of the disco song ‘Stayin’ Alive,’” Stapleton said. “People feel more confident performing Hands-only CPR and are more likely to remember the correct rate when trained to the beat of a familiar song.”

The American Heart Association is now promoting hands-only CPR because less than one-third of sudden cardiac arrest victims receive pre-hospital CPR.

“Hands-only CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR for sudden cardiac arrest at home, at work or in public,” Stapleton said. “Hands-only CPR can help a cardiac arrest victim survive until emergency medical services arrive.”

According to the American Heart Association, 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die, though CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival. The five largest teams at the event will win Automated External Defibrillators and the next five largest will win CPR equipment.

To register for the event, visit Stony Brook Medicine’s website.