Quick action, simple CPR training can help save lives during cardiac events

The 57-year-old business professor was in a meeting with students on Sept. 7 when he slumped over on his desk.

Grody was having a heart attack, and students in the meeting soon called out in the hallway for help.

"There happened to be a couple of Duke EMS students," Grody said.

The pre-med students did everything they were taught in their CPR class, and their quick action helped save Grody's life.

"Cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, anytime, to anybody," Duke cardiology research fellow Carolina Hansen said.

Hansen says quick action can make all the difference in terms of survival. Instructors in Duke CPR classes say responders need to be looking for responsiveness instead of checking for a pulse.

Automated External Defibrillators can also be found in many public places. During a cardiac event, they are worth searching for.

"Receiving a shock with an AED within the first few minutes is the most efficient treatment," Hansen said.

Grody had quintuple heart bypass surgery following his heart attack, and he credits heart rehab therapy for his strong recovery.

"I actually feel better than I have in 20 years," he said.

Duke's Heart Center provides free CPR training for community groups, churches, companies and corporations.

Call 919-477-7611 or visit the Duke Heart Center's website to schedule a class.