"Staying Alive" Really Can Save Your Life!!!
By LadyMarissa
@LadyMarissa (12148)
United States
October 28, 2009 10:27am CST
About 1 year ago I did a discussion on a news report that said when doing CPR to hear the words & beat of the BeeGee song "Staying Alive" in your head as it had 103 beats per minute which was perfect for doing CPR!!! I felt if any of us had this knowledge in our head it just might emerge at an appropriate moment & save somebody's life. Most people wrote kind words thanking me for the information & went on about their day. A few scoffed at the idea saying that they would be too busy saving a life to worry about a silly song. Well, this morning on the Today Show, they had a man sitting there that had suffered a heart attack & died. A neighbor was nearby & suddenly he remembered seeing the segment on singing "Staying Alive" in your head while doing CPR could help save a life. He went into action. Instead of the slow, steady compressions most of us would do, he started doing the compressions to the beat of "oh, oh, oh, oh....staying alive, staying alive". He repeated it over & over in his head as he continued CPR until the paramedics could get there. The young man he was working on is alive & on TV today thanks to the BeeGees writing that song & his neighbor watching the Today Show. The neighbor said he has NO clue why he remembered to use "Staying Alive" for the beat of his compressions, but it just popped into his head. Do you think you could be as diligent??? Now that I've reminded you twice, do you think that you might remember to sing "Staying Alive" in your head while you try & save a life???
2 people like this
10 responses
@Skyeblue25 (545)
•
29 Oct 09
I will definately remember this bit of advice, you just never know when it will come in handy. I done a basic first aid course years ago now. But when my hubby fell through a glass door and severed his arteries in his arm I remembered exactly what to do. Seems human brains are amazing at retrieving information in an emergency
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
29 Oct 09
Our brains are AWESOME!!! With this method of CPR, you don't have to stop to do the breathing into the mouth thing. Supposedly the faster compression rate takes care of the old blowing air into their lungs. They didn't explain why, but made a big deal about how much safer it is compared to the old placing your mouth on a stranger's mouth. I hope I never have to administer CPR; but, if I do, I hope I'm singing my way through it. Seems it would take my mind off the panic I'd be feeling!!!
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
1 Nov 09
Yes, they had to come up with something safer as people were beginning to not help because of the chances of catching strange diseases. Now they are trying to get the word out that there is a new & better way!!!
@Skyeblue25 (545)
•
31 Oct 09
It definately sounds great, and if it really works and is safe to do then all the more great. Putting a mouth on a strangers to do CPR is very off putting and if we can save a life without the risk of cross infection then it can only be good
1 person likes this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
16 Nov 09
Is it just that one verse and not the whole song..sorry I missed that first discussion about it..or is it just the "oh, oh, oh, oh....staying alive, staying alive" part? I will have to remember that though..cause anything that would save a life is worth remembering..
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
16 Nov 09
When I did the first discussion, I thought you needed to know the whole song. In watching the segment where the man's life was saved, the neighbor said he kept singing "oh, oh, oh....staying alive, staying alive" over & over in his head as he did the compressions. Of course, you need to remember the rhythm & beat to that for this to work properly. He did comment that when he originally heard this information, he scoffed at the idea of singing while saving a life. However, when the need arose he automatically started singing it in his head!!! The neighbor who had the heart attack was sitting next to him & said "thank you for knowing how to sing!!!" 
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
1 Nov 09
Wow!! This is interesting. I had never heard this one before, but could be some useful bits of information if ever placed in this situation as well. Personally I think this information would be more useful if they could get this word out there for paramedics, or people working around older people who need to be CPR trained out there as well. Thanks for sharing this with us.
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
1 Nov 09
It works so well that this is what they're teaching our up & coming medical professionals!!! 
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
28 Oct 09
Hi LadyM,
I never saw your fist discussion, I think it was done before I joined mylot but what a great idea and yes it can really save someone's live doing that to the BEEGEE's song, well it worth taking a chance to save a life rather then walk away from it.
Tamara
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
29 Oct 09
I think you forgot tamara...
[i]Hi LadyMarissa,
I never thought of that, it makes sense, and no I don't know the words to the song but I love it, brings back all sorts of memories for. Thanks.
Tamara[/i]
@wahmivy (776)
• Philippines
29 Oct 09
This reminds me of that Office episode when Stanley suffered from a heart attack (because Dwight staged a very realistic fire drill) and they had a training session on administering CPR. The trainer taught the "Staying Alive" trick and Michael said he loved the song, but mistakenly sang the intro to "I Will Survive" instead while pumping away. Anyway, glad to hear it really does work. Will keep it in mind.
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
29 Oct 09
When I first heard this, I thought I'll never remember to sing while administering CPR. This guy thought the same thing. However, when needed, his brain remembered it for him!!!I know in my heart the BeeGees didn't write this song to be the CPR revival song, but find it interesting that out of ALL the songs they wrote that the title to the one song that is most effective for CPR is "Staying Alive".
@jodylee_04530 (1097)
• United States
29 Oct 09
I was not hear on myLot for your first post on this topic but I can tell you this one will stick with me. I wonder how figured that out. How amazing is it that you got to see that come true. Perhaps he was a myLotter who read your first post
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
29 Oct 09
I wish I could claim he read my post & saved a life!!! Actually, he saw the same segment of the Today Show that I saw & remembered it when he needed it.
With the old way of doing CPR, we needed to blow a breath into the victim's mouth while doing the chest compressions. Now with ALL the diseases out there, they had to come up with a safer way. The apparatuses they came up with worked, but were cumbersome & you needed to keep it with you all the time. Some pro studied it & determined with the faster compression rate, we can bypass breathing into their mouth. So it's healthier for BOTH psrties!!!
@carolbee (16230)
• United States
28 Oct 09
Well I am not the best at doing things in an emergency. My mind seems to shut down and I panic. I had a CPR course many years ago and do remember a good part of CPR but could I perform this on a dying person, I just don't know. I will remember you mentioning the song by the Bee Gees here and pass it along to other paramedic friends and family I know. Thanks for offering this information once again.
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
28 Oct 09
The gentleman who performed the CPR said much the same thing. He admitted his brain froze & then suddenly he heard the words "Do CPR to the beat of 'Staying Alive'." He said he couldn't just stand there & watch without even trying. So, he tried & it worked!!!
@Capsicum (1444)
• United States
28 Oct 09
I think this could work well.It would focus you on something different than the person, plus the beat works ! So many simple things that are never told are to soon forgotten we could all be life savers in times of crisis.Another way to ward a heart attack patient to stable condition is to give them capsicum under the tongue hitting the blood steam pronto.
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
29 Oct 09
Another good one to know!!! I had never heard of that one.
@opalina143 (1240)
• Morristown, New Jersey
28 Oct 09
I will remember what you said, but the truth is I dont know CPR. I would love to take a class in it, because it may be very useful someday Only I don't really know if I would use it on a stranger, the thought of putting my mouth on some stranger's mouth is pretty distasteful. Though I hope that if I were in that situation really I would do it and wouldn't let the squeamishness win out. I would be happy to save someone's life...my dad saved a friend's life once with the Heimlich Maneuver. But of course, this is all irrelevant because I don't know how. I can figure out the breathing part, but how do you do the chest compressions? IF you tell me, I would be grateful, and it may one day save a life.
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
28 Oct 09
The lady that was there this morning explaining why it could be important to do the compressions to "Staying Alive" You won't need to put your mouth on a stranger's lips if you do the compressions fast enough. "Staying Alive" is fast enough you don't have to breathe into their mouth. Another reason to use this method!!!
To do the compressions:
Place the heel of your hand in the middle of the victim's chest. Put your other hand on top of the first with your fingers interlaced. Compress the chest about 1-1/2 to 2 inches (4-5 cm). Allow the chest to completely recoil before the next compression. Compress the chest at a rate equal to 100/minute. Perform 30 compressions at this rate. Compressing the chest at a rate of 100/minute is just slightly slower than the 103/minute of "Staying Alive"
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
29 Oct 09
Then there are people like me who have NEVER heard of it & wouldn't know it if they heard it!!!
