A CPR Playlist to keep the blood flowin’
February 16, 2023

If you are familiar with the American TV series The Office, then you must know the iconic scene where the characters are being taught how to perform CPR using The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive,” and it all goes terribly wrong. Classic The Office humor.

“Stayin’ Alive” is used in CPR classes because it is the perfect song for hitting the 100-120 beats per minute required for ideal chest compressions. Well, what if there was a wide variety of songs you could choose? We have the perfect playlist for you! 

Why is Learning CPR Necessary?

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure that uses chest compressions to mimic how the heart pumps. These compressions keep the blood flowing throughout the body. CPR can be performed when a person’s breathing or heart stops and can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. 

In Canada, there are approximately 35,000 cardiac arrests each year. It is essential to learn how to perform CPR because most cardiac arrests happen outside of the hospital. If CPR is performed immediately, it can greatly improve the chance of survival. 

In a recent study, 61% of people say they are willing to perform CPR if they witness someone collapse, but in most public places, only 40% of people receive bystander CPR. Women are less likely to receive CPR than men. Being trained in CPR improves confidence and increases the willingness of people to act.

How does it work? 

The study “Stayin’ Alive: A Pilot Study to Test the Effectiveness of a Novel Mental Metronome in Maintaining Appropriate Compression Rates in Stimulated Cardiac Arrest Scenarios” showed that listening to “Stayin’ Alive” improved the research subject’s ability to perform chest compressions at a proper speed.

 When the subjects were retested five weeks later without listening to the song, they performed chest compressions at an acceptable range with an average rate of 113 beats per minute. The subjects also reported that the musical training made them feel more confident about performing CPR, so the song does have the power to help people stay alive. Now, using the same song for training can become monotonous, but a playlist specifically made for CPR can give you various choices. 

Life-Saving Music

he New York-Presbyterian Hospital created a playlist (check it out here!) full of songs you can do CPR to. Each song has the appropriate number of beats per minute needed to perform CPR. Choose your favourite song from the playlist to remember when helping someone during an emergency.  

With so many out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring annually, you should be trained and prepared for whatever happens; you might just save someone’s life! Start your training now by booking one of our First aid courses that include training on how to deliver CPR.