Why this Taylor Swift song is approved by the American Heart Association
What do the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama,” and Taylor Swift’s “The Man” have in common?
The American Heart Association (AHA) has approved each as a song with the right tempo for doing Hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Swift’s song made the CPR hit list while her popularity is at an all-time high, bolstered by her current Eras tour.
Bypassing traditional press releases, the AHA went straight to Instagram with the news, announcing: “Be The Man and be ready to save a life by learning the two steps of Hands-only CPR. If you see a teen or adult collapse, call 911, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest. A song with 100-120 beats per minute -- like Taylor Swift’s “The Man” -- can help you keep the right rhythm."
Hands-only CPR, according to the American Red Cross, is CPR without rescue breaths, which is simple to learn and easy to remember, especially outside medical settings.
If linking Taylor Swift to Hands-only CPR helps get the word out, Cape Cod Hospital Emergency Medicine Physician Jacob Crowell, MD, is fine with that. He began his career as an emergency medical technician (EMT) with the Dennis Fire Department, where he still volunteers. Throughout his career, he has seen CPR save lives.
“The AHA has found that early initiation of high-quality chest compressions can increase the chances of survival for people experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest,” Dr. Crowell said. “For every minute the brain goes without oxygen, there is more brain damage and the greater likelihood of other organs being damaged beyond the possibility of resuscitation. The most meaningful way to help somebody survive out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is to initiate CPR as soon as the cardiac arrest is identified.”
Defibrillators, which are becoming more available in both public settings and private homes, are a second way to help someone survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, he said.
When to Start CPR
When do you initiate CPR? Dr. Crowell said that taking a class prepares you to know when CPR is needed; basically, that is when someone is unresponsive and you cannot feel a pulse.
He recalled this 2017 story about a man whose heart stopped while he was walking along Mayflower Beach in Dennis. The victim was saved by a bystander who performed hands-only CPR and by police officers who responded quickly and deployed their AED.
“By the time fire department personnel arrived, the patient had a pulse and was starting to breathe on his own,” Dr. Crowell said.
He urges everyone—teens and adults—to attend CPR and AED classes and become certified. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to try to perform hands-only CPR if someone’s heart has stopped. You’re their best chance at life; nothing you try is going to hurt someone who is already dead, he noted.
“While education is the best way to be prepared, people with no prior CPR education have saved lives with the help of a good telecommunicator coaching them after calling ambulance dispatch,” he said. Dr. Crowell talked more about CPR basics in this previous Cape Cod Health News article.
Chances are, if you take a class, you’ll likely hear some good music with tempos around 110 beats a minute. It’s not a bad idea to choose Swift’s “The Man” right now, and keep it in mind just in case someone you know needs your help one day.
Check these sources for CPR classes near you: Red Cross, Cape Cod CPR, and the American Heart Association.
