PIKE COUNTY, Mo. — The Pike County Health Department has four certified basic life support instructors through the American Heart Association and are proud to be able to offer these services to the community.

Each course is 2-3 hours long and are open to the public at various times throughout the year. If you do not see a course scheduled that you are interested in, please contact their office.

Why Learn CPR?
Cardiac arrest – an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and disrupts the flow of blood to the brain, lungs and other organs – is a leading cause of death. Each year, more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States.
When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately getting CPR from someone nearby. Almost 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. CPR, especially if performed in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. Getting immediate CPR from a bystander can double or triple the person’s survival chances, but only 32% of people with cardiac arrest get CPR from a bystander.

Be the Difference for Someone You Love
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. Seventy percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes. Unfortunately, only about 46% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest get the immediate help that they need before professional help arrives. During CPR, you should push on the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. The beat of “Stayin’ Alive” is a perfect match for this.

More information can be found on the Pike County Health Department website or by calling Robyn Orf at 573-754-2111 ext. 127.