MINNEAPOLIS - The American Heart Association has designated this week "National CPR Week," and Minnesota spokesman David Adriansen, who is training coordinator at the Minneapolis VA center, says we need more people trained in the life-saving technique - the sooner the better.

"About 75 percent of sudden cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital, with most happening at home; but only about eight percent of out-of-hospital sudden-cardiac-arrest victims survive." He says survival chances decrease ten percent for every minute a victim goes without treatment. Adriansen adds that CPR, which involves compressions to the chest to keep the heart going until professional medical care arrives, is easy to learn. (contd.) Podcast and entire story available: http://www.newsservice.org/index.php

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