KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Every minute CPR is not started, the chance of survival drops 10%.
CPR and AED instructor Deena Kerschner Johnson has seen an increase in calls and questions over the last few days.
"So if we look at that person and we're like, 'Oh no — I'm out of here, no way am I helping this person, I'm going to screw it up.' Well what do I remain? Dead," Johnson said. "But if you jump in and you do something, you're still giving me a chance of survival I would not have had had you walked away."
Johnson said that as an instructor, one of the biggest things she tries to do is address fears or concerns on how to take lifesaving measures.
The American Heart Association says 31% of people who wouldn't step in and do CPR are afraid of legal trouble, despite Good Samaritan laws protecting aid givers.
Another 24% of people don't help because they think CPR or using an AED is too complicated.
Classes like Johnson's are meant to eliminate those fears.
Nicole Fox took the class so she could protect the people around her.
"These things happen in real life," she said. "Not just on TV during a football game. And so being trained and being prepared and being confident in what to do when this occurs is absolutely key."
Johnson says 400,000 sudden cardiac arrests happen each year outside the hospital.
"88% of those happen at home," she said. "So there's a four in five chance that the person you witness have a sudden cardiac arrest, the person you may help is someone you love."
—
