Teaching Columbus middle schoolers how to save lives

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) – It’s National EMS Week, aimed at raising awareness of the role of first responders, but it’s also meant to teach non-first responders some lifesaving techniques.

On Wednesday, students sang along to “Stayin’ Alive” as they learned “hands only” CPR at Woodward Park Middle School. The technique does not require mouth-to-mouth.

First responders and school nurses said it’s important for people of all ages to learn these techniques because a health emergency can occur anytime anyplace. Plus the students love to get involved.

The American Heart Association said that every hour, 38 people throughout the country suffer a cardiac arrest, and 90 percent of them die.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Ohio and the nation.

Keeping track of your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels can help identify risk factors for heart disease, but a recent national survey by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found fewer than half of adults know their blood pressure — and fewer than one in five know their cholesterol or sugar levels.

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