What you should know about CPR and how to get free training in SA

On Jan. 9, Reagan High School basketball player Kaeyel Moore collapsed on the school's basketball court during a regular practice. He credits his athletic trainer for using CPR to save his life.

Moore is one of the thousands of people who are saved by CPR annually.

Here's what you should know about CPR and how to receive free training in San Antonio:

  • CPR – or cardiopulmonary resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. 
  • Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest.
  • According to 2014 data, nearly 45 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims survived when bystander CPR was administered.
  • Nationally, the average bystander response rate is 46 percent. In San Antonio, the rate is below 36 percent and varies by zip code.
  • Did you know: only 50% of people can locate an automated external defibrillator (AED) at work?
  • With 10,000 cardiac arrests annually in the workplace, knowing this small piece of information has the potential to save thousands of lives.

The mission of Harper's Embrace Lifesaver Program provides no-cost,CPR educational programs across San Antonio and South Texas.

The group is named for Harper, a 4-year-old girl who died after she slipped into a pool and drowned at a birthday party.

Most cardiac and breathing emergencies occur in the home with family members present and the sooner CPR is initiated, the greater the chance of survival. 

Would you have the knowledge and training needed to perform cpr that might save a life?


About the Author:

Stephanie Serna is a weekday anchor on Good Morning San Antonio and GMSA at 9 a.m. She joined the KSAT 12 News team in November 2009 as a general assignments reporter.