Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is offering a new service for travelers passing through, according to NBC News. In addition to the current services of shopping, snacking, napping and yoga, travelers will now also be able to learn CPR.
The American Heart Association (AHA) has introduced the program as a pilot program that they hope to bring to other airports. The AHA has partnered with American airlines, which has its headquarters in Dallas, to install automated kiosks to teach travelers a simplified method of CPR called Hands-Only.
A mannequin is provided for travelers to practice on. The technique does not require rescue breaths. Travelers watch an instructional video that shows the correct way to perform the procedure in what program developers hope is a fun way.
"This tool really breaks the barrier people have of being afraid to initiate CPR while waiting for help to arrive," Jeral Ahtone, a physician with American Airlines, said.
Research demonstrates that abbreviated training with a short video can help people remember CPR steps, so areas that have a lot of heavy foot traffic, such as airports, are great places to teach people the simplified technique.
"There is a lot of down time for people who are waiting for their flights," Dr. Ahamed Idris, a volunteer and professor of Surgery and Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said.
The video provides a brief introduction to the technique and is followed-up by a practice session and a 30-second test. The user receives feedback about depth, compression rate and proper hand placement.
"There's a real value to putting simple and understandable life-saving information out in public," David Magana, a spokesman for Dallas Forth Worth Airport, said.
The airport has amenities that lead to it being "one of the healthiest airports anywhere," Magana said. "This project seemed a good fit."
The instructional video encourages people to call 9-1-1 and then perform CPR by pushing hard and fast in the center of the victim's chest to the beat of the Bee Gees song "Stayin' Alive."
This method was demonstrated on a season five episode of "The Office," titled "Stress Relief," where the cast starts a sing along during the practice procedure. The beat of the song has the perfect beat for the correct CPR technique.
The Office scene
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