Red Cross explains how music helps people learn CPR

Red Cross creates playlist for CPR training The Canadian Red Cross has created a Spotify playlist to help people learn and maintain the correct beat (100 beats per minute) for CPR.

A playlist used as a training tool during CPR classes is aiming to build confidence in administering CPR. Kevin Paes with the Canadian Red Cross joined CTV Morning Live’s Kent Morrison to emphasize the importance of learning CPR.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Kent Morrison: Believe it or not, Taylor Swift could actually save a life. It is one of dozens of songs on a playlist put together by the Canadian Red Cross to help you administer CPR, which is important because there are about 40,000 cardiac arrests in Canada each year outside of a hospital. Many people admit they don't know what to do to help or are not confident in doing CPR. How does music help with CPR?

Kevin Paes: It’s a great training tool to get people to stay on the beat like 100 beats per minute while they're doing CPR. Lots of our instructors will put together playlists that they'll play during classes for people to practice too.

Kent: I think a lot of people are aware of Stayin’ Alive (Bee Gees, 1977) as a song that they can do CPR too, but there are many others. There's a Spotify playlist that people can go check out with many different songs, but it isn't something that you would put on in an emergency, it’s more to just use as practice and to learn?

Kevin: Correct. To practice and to make people comfortable with CPR. One of the things we're trying to do is build people's confidence, so that more than 20 per cent of people will respond when there is an emergency. Things like music and ensuring people understand why they're doing CPR, and the importance of it so that people will act when there is an emergency.

Kent: What should people take away right now, as far as when to administer CPR? I think a big one is people are worried about pushing too hard.

Kevin: The biggest thing is to ensure that 911 is called as soon as somebody goes unconscious. The sooner you can get an ambulance there, the better. Then, the earlier CPR is administered, the better for the person, right? Because it'll start to circulate oxygenated blood around the body and to the brain while the ambulance is on its way.

Kent: If I’m in an emergency, what should I be looking for in terms of when I should use CPR?

Kevin: If the person is unconscious, non-breathing, then you start CPR immediately. As soon as the person can.

Kent: Now take us through the apparatus of administering CPR. What do people need to do in that situation?

Kevin: Like you said, some people are afraid to push too hard. You want your depth of compression to be about one-and-a-half to two inches for an adult, and at 100 beats per minute. Also, people are worried about doing CPR and doing breaths if they don't have a face mask, but you can do compression only CPR, which is effective, especially in that short time before the ambulance gets there.

Kent: Why are the beats per minute so key?

Kevin: Beats per minute is important so that enough blood gets circulated around the body. If you're not pushing fast enough, you won't build up enough pressure in the body for the oxygen to perfuse it to the brain and lungs.

Kent: People aren't sure about teaching themselves or relearning this, are there ways that they can come to you to learn more?

Kevin: Absolutely. We have lots of courses all around Alberta, and if people go to redcross.ca/firstaid, they'll be able to find the courses and register for one. They're not very long, you can get trained in two hours to do CPR. First aid courses are a little bit longer, but if you just want CPR, which is really important, it’s a couple hours and you can get trained.