World Restart A Heart Day
On October 16, 2019, members of the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University will be participating in World Restart a Heart Day, a global initiative that aims to increase public awareness and rates of bystander CPR. This student-led interprofessional initiative will bring together students, residents, faculty members, healthcare professionals, and administration from the Faculty of Medicine, the Steinberg Centre for Simulation and Interactive Learning (SCSIL) and the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). The goal of this initiative is to educate the Montreal community about the importance of bystander CPR and engage individuals in resuscitation activities to enhance CPR knowledge and skills. In an attempt to increase the rate and quality of bystander CPR, we hope to ultimately reduce cardiac arrest deaths in Greater Montreal.
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in Canada, with more than 35,000 people dying of sudden cardiac arrest each year. The large majority of cardiac arrest deaths occur in homes and public places. In fact, up to 55% are witnessed by a family member, co-worker, or friend. Without warning, cardiac arrest strikes suddenly and what happens in the first few minutes after an arrest can have a significant impact on survival. Because the majority of people witnessing cardiac arrest do not perform CPR, the survival rate of victims of cardiac arrest outside of a hospital are only 5%. Responding to a cardiac arrest by administering CPR can triple the odds of survival and recovery. This makes the training of lay persons in bystander CPR a crucial investment in community health.
On WRAH Day, students from the Steinberg Simulation Centre Interprofessional Learners Committee (SILC) along with McGill University student volunteers will educate the McGill community about the importance of bystander CPR and engage individuals in simulation-based resuscitation activities to enhance CPR knowledge and skill. They will do this by delivering an informative 5-minute video presentation to large auditoriums on campus, along with other CPR-based activities.
The volunteers will also engage students in simulation-based activities by setting up educational CPR kiosks around campus. On October 16th, visit them on the sixth floor Martin Amphitheater lobby of the McGill McIntyre Building (3655 Promenade Sir William Osler) from noon to 4 pm or in the “bridge” between the Redpath and McLennan Library (3459 McTavish) from 9 am to 5 pm to get some hands-on training with a CPR feedback mannequin.
We will be sharing updates via our Facebook page, @McGillWorldRestartAHeart and our Instagram page @mcgillwrah. The campaign is also listed on the McGill Seeds of Change website.