Long Beach Medical Center to Improve Bystander CPR Rates in the Long Beach Community

According to data from the Emergency Medical Services Agency in 2023, only 33-34% of cardiac arrest victims in Los Angeles County received CPR from a bystander. At Long Beach Medical Center, 141 cases of cardiac arrest patients were treated between July 2023 and June 2024 - but only 40% received bystander CPR before arriving at the hospital. MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center aims to increase the rate of bystander CPR in the Long Beach community.

"These figures are alarming, as prompt CPR can significantly improve the chances of survival for cardiac arrest victims," said Khiet Hoang, M.D., medical director, emergency cardiac services, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center. "70% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home, so the person who will need CPR will very likely be someone you know. Our community is facing a critical challenge with these low rates of bystander CPR, which underscores the critical need for community engagement and training in CPR procedures."

According to a 2018 study by the American Heart Association, 45% of men received bystander CPR compared with 39% of women. Men had 23% higher odds of survival than women.

"The discrepancy between men and women receiving life-saving CPR is distressing and causing us to lose more women to heart disease - this needs to change," says Nissi Suppogu, M.D., medical director, Women's Heart Center, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center. "We want to increase awareness and training on cardiac events in women to decrease the fear of intervening and ensure CPR is given to women experiencing cardiac arrest."

Hands-only CPR (compression-only) is an alternative option for those who do not have conventional CPR training or are worried about the risk of disease transmission from mouth-to-mouth contact. Hands-only CPR helps keep the heart beating until EMS providers arrive to take over.

"Using hands-only CPR has been proven to be just as effective as conventional CPR as long as the compression pace and strength of the compression is correct," said Dr. Hoang. "An easy way to remember how to get enough compressions is to perform hands-only CPR to the beat of "Stayin' Alive" or any other song with a tempo of 100 to 120 beats per minute."

Long Beach Medical Center is focused on educating residents at its annual "Sidewalk CPR" event on June 6.

"By providing accessible and practical hands-only CPR training, we are fostering a culture of preparedness and confidence. Our goal is to equip every resident with the ability to act swiftly in emergencies, which can significantly improve survival rates for cardiac arrest victims in Long Beach."

- Joe Kim, M.D., chief medical officer, Long Beach Medical Center

A Sidewalk CPR educational community event is scheduled for Friday, June 6 at LBX from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.