By Albert Tsai
VP, Community Impact, American Heart Association Puget Sound
Albert Tsai
Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone at any moment, and without prompt bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), it is often fatal. I know this firsthand, because 15 years ago, my heart stopped for several minutes. Fortunately, I survived, because nearby individuals administered CPR.
At the age of 22, I received a diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic condition in which my heart muscle is enlarged. Despite its seriousness, I lived for many years without significant issues, thanks to regular monitoring by a medical team. One morning 15 years later, however, I had just parked my car and was leaving the parking garage when my heart stopped working normally. We don’t know why it happened—only that my heart went into an abnormal rhythm, and I collapsed onto the sidewalk.
Cardiac arrest, a leading cause of death in the United States, happens when there is an electrical malfunction in the heart’s rhythm that results in a loss of blood flow to the heart, lungs, and brain. It is different from a heart attack, which is caused by a blockage.
David, a student teacher from the nearby school, noticed me lying on the sidewalk after I collapsed. Recognizing my unresponsiveness, he immediately began administering CPR. Hands-Only CPR is a simple, lifesaving skill that most people can learn and perform correctly. It is just two simple steps: call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest. David had in fact just learned how to perform it as part of his training to become a teacher. Another person came and called 911 while David and the school’s principal performed chest compressions on me for several minutes until paramedics arrived. Their steady compressions kept blood flowing through my body—providing vital oxygen to my brain until my heart was shocked back into a normal rhythm and could beat on its own.
Unfortunately, many people hesitate to perform CPR due to fear of causing harm. Research from the American Heart Association indicates that 69% of surveyed Asian American adults share this concern. Personally, I experienced some chest soreness for a few days, but considering the alternative, I gladly accepted it as a small price for saving my life. In addition, that same survey showed only 26% of AAPI individuals are confident they could correctly perform Hands-Only CPR.
Asian Americans sometimes hesitate to get involved in emergencies that don’t directly affect them. We tend to mind our own business, assuming that someone else will step in. I urge all of you to push past that mindset and when you see someone in trouble or unresponsive, go to their aid. Research studies consistently demonstrate that immediate CPR can significantly increase a person’s chances of survival—sometimes even doubling or tripling those odds. I owe my life to the timely administration of CPR. And last year, I got to see my daughter graduate from high school and go off to college.
Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital in the United States, and 90% of these are fatal. It’s crucial that we work to change this alarming statistic. The American Heart Association has set an ambitious goal: to double the survival rate for cardiac arrest by 2030. Immediate Hands-Only CPR and defibrillation play a crucial role in achieving this objective. I encourage everyone to become a part of the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers by learning CPR.
Visit heart.org/nation for resources, including a concise 60-second instructional video on Hands-Only CPR, or find a Heartsaver™ certification course near you.
Albert Tsai is the vice president of Community Impact for the American Heart Association Puget Sound.