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Take a Free CPR Class

Duke Heart Center to hold training sessions June 10 for employees and students

During National CPR and AED Awareness Month in June, the Duke Heart Center hopes to teach 300 or more Duke employees and students the life-saving skill of compression-only CPR.

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During a June 10 training blitz, free CPR classes will be offered in the Searle Center lecture hall from 10 to 11:30 a.m., noon to 1:30 p.m., and 2 to 3:30 p.m. Each session focuses on compression-only CPR, which does not incorporate mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Immediate CPR can double or triple the chance of survival for a victim of sudden cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association.

“We’ve seen employees feeling empowered about being a part of a greater mission here at Duke,” said Leatrice Martin, director of the Duke Heart Center Community Outreach and Education Program. “They feel like they’re gaining a skill that they can take back and share with others and potentially save someone’s life.”

Duke employees and students must register online at least 24 hours prior to the event. Participants will receive heart-healthy snacks as well as a wallet card outlining compression-only CPR steps.

Duke Heart Center staff will also incorporate new American Heart Association guidelines into the CPR training, such as the recommended rate of chest compressions increasing from 100 to 120 compressions per minute for adult victims of cardiac arrest. During the event, participants will form teams and respond to different hypothetical situations, learning steps of using compression-only CPR, dialing 911 and deploying an automated external defibrillator (AED). Instructors will also discuss how to use the Heimlich maneuver to help someone who’s choking.