New mobile hands-only CPR kiosk in North Philadelphia aims for community to learn how to perform CPR
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Learning how to save a life is a new opportunity that's now in North Philadelphia.
Learn how to perform CPR in minutes is a new technology aimed at helping the 350,000 people who have cardiac arrest each year.
The North10 Lenfest Center in Hunting Park now has a new mobile hands-only CPR kiosk that trains people how to help someone in cardiac arrest.
"I think it's a good skill to have," Armani Avant said.
The kiosk has a touchscreen with a video program that instructs users to first call 911 and then explains how to press hard and fast on the chest to the music of the Bee Gees "Staying Alive" 100 to 120 beats a minute.
"Within five minutes you can learn the key elements needed to potentially save a life," Jennifer Litchman said.
The American Heart Association is teaming up with Jefferson Health to place the kiosk in a community center where anyone can quickly learn what to do if someone goes into cardiac arrest.
"The survival rate for out of the hospital cardiac arrest is abysmal and it is so much better when early bystander CPR occurs," Dr. Joseph Cacchione, the CEO of Jefferson Health said.
"It helps people to understand how to do something that is so vitally important," Josh Klaris said.
Sponsors said the kiosk is strategically placed in an under-served community where many residents struggle with health complications that increase the risk for cardiac arrest and where CPR training is needed.
"We know in communities like North Philadelphia the statistics for sudden cardiac arrest and bystander intervention are significantly worse than other communities," Litchman said.
Avant is among the first to try the kiosk that includes a test to make sure people can correctly do CPR.
"It was pretty cool, I never gave CPR before," he said.
Doctors said when someone's heart stops beating, every second counts for survival with CPR from bystanders being a critical first step.