The Bronx is a safer borough today - more than a dozen residents just learned how to save infants, children and adults suffering cardiac arrest.
Fire Department Emergency Medical Technicians taught the students how to perform CPR - cardiopulmonary resuscitation - at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore late last month, using inflatable plastic dolls nicknamed "Rescue Annie."
The students - mostly parents, but some children - learned how to perform chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths. The CPR class was a part of Montefiore's observance of American Heart Month.
"CPR is one of the most important ways to save a life," he said. "This was a great opportunity for people to learn."
Performing CPR on infants and children is different than on adults because most adults suffer cardiac arrest due to heart problems, while in children it often stems from breathing problems such as lung disease, said Ceresnak.
When rescuing an adult, one should call 911 for a defibrillator before performing CPR. But when saving a child, one should start chest compressions right away, he said.
Adults and children who receive CPR are more likely to survive and escape brain damage, said Ceresnak.
"The survival rate for cardiac arrest is very low," he said. "Knowing how to perform CPR can really make a difference."