With time ticking away, quick treatment of sudden cardiac arrests, which affect more than 300,000 people every year, is critical — and the Rodham Institute is making sure more hands are available to save lives.
With a goal of getting 2,018 people trained in CPR in 2018, the institute, led by Jehan “Gigi” El-Bayoumi, MD, RESD ’88, professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, is reaching out to residents of Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, D.C.
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Currently, only 6 percent of residents in Ward 8 know how to perform CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, said El-Bayoumi. CPR, however, is relatively easy to learn, and when performed early, it can significantly increase patients’ chances of survival.