‘Keep the Beat’ going with sponsorships

The “Keep the Beat” program is coming to the Bayou Region to offer three sessions in bystander CPR training Aug. 25 at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center. Sessions will be held at 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The medical technology company Medtronic puts on the event. The goal of the program is to spread awareness about the importance of CPR training.

Last year’s event trained approximately 200 people in bystander CPR. Promoters of the program have set a goal of trying to train 350 people this year.

To stress the importance of CPR training, the promotional material for the program cites the fact Louisiana’s heart disease death rate is 10 percent higher than the national average. And in 2002, 22 percent of people in Louisiana who died from the disease were younger than the age of 65.

Furthermore, survival of sudden cardiac arrest is directly linked to the amount of time between the onset of the arrest and defibrillation. Chances of survival are reduced 7 to 10 percent with every minute of delay.

And few attempts at resuscitation are successful after 10 minutes.

If CPR is used within three to four minutes of cardiac arrest, a victim’s survival rate increases to 60 percent and if used within one minute, the rate goes up to 90 percent.

Brain death starts to occur within four to six minutes of cardiac arrest.

The non-profit organization, South Louisiana Clinical Research Foundation, Inc., is organizing the event.

The program, however, needs support from local sponsors and volunteers to be a success.

“Keep the Beat” is seeking donations and will use the funds to hold more CPR training marathons as well as to provide automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to the community.

Those interested in sponsoring the program can call 1-877-288-0011 for more information.