Iowa Heart Foundation

06/05/2026

AEDs are designed to be used by anyone, not just medical professionals. They may seem daunting which is why training can be helpful. '

When you open the device it will immediately start talking out loud and instructing you on what to do. Continue following the prompts until EMS arrive. Once they do, inform them of how long they’ve been receiving CPR and how many shocks have been delivered.

Some devices even have a screen that will have matching animations to the steps being spoken by the device. Many AED models also offer the prompts in different languages.


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Los Desfibriladores Externos Automáticos (DEA) están diseñados para que cualquier persona pueda usarlos, no solo los profesionales de la salud. Pueden parecer intimidantes, por eso la capacitación puede ser útil.

Cuando abres el dispositivo, comenzará a hablar de inmediato y te irá indicando en voz alta qué hacer. Sigue las indicaciones hasta que llegue el personal de emergencias. Cuando lleguen, infórmales cuánto tiempo la persona ha estado recibiendo RCP y cuántas descargas se han administrado.

Algunos dispositivos incluso tienen una pantalla con animaciones que coinciden con los pasos que el aparato va indicando. Muchos modelos de DEA también ofrecen las instrucciones en diferentes idiomas.

06/04/2026

Our public libraries continue to be vital to local communities and we're proud to support them.

❤️ CPR & AED Awareness Week ❤️

Would you know what to do in an emergency?

Each year, approximately 300,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States. Sudden cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, at any time, and to anyone. Quick action can save a life.

🆘 If someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest:

☎️ Call 9-1-1
🫀 Start CPR
⚡ Use an AED

At Urbana Public Library, we are prepared for emergencies. Our emergency response station includes:

✔ AED (Automated External Defibrillator)
✔ Narcan
✔ Stop the Bleed Kit
✔ Portable First Aid Kit

📍 These supplies are located on the south wall of the library, clearly visible from the building entrance and mounted at an accessible height for all patrons.

We encourage everyone to take a moment to notice where emergency equipment is located when visiting public buildings. In an emergency, knowing where to find these lifesaving tools can make all the difference.

A special thank you to the Iowa Heart Foundation for providing our library and community with an AED through their grant program. Their support helps ensure that lifesaving equipment is available when every second counts.

We would also like to thank Benton County Iowa Public Health Department for providing CPR, AED, Narcan, and Stop the Bleed training to our staff. Their training helps ensure that our team is prepared to respond confidently during an emergency.

❤️ Awareness saves lives. Preparedness saves lives.

06/04/2026

06/04/2026

You may have heard that it's possible to break ribs while performing CPR on someone. This is true! Breaking ribs happens about 30% of the time with some sources saying as often as 50% of the time.

The myth is that you should aim to break ribs during CPR. While it's true it can happen you're not necessarily aiming for it or aiming to avoid it, simply just understanding it's possible. As long as you are doing compressions at the proper 100-120bpm speed and 2 inch depth (1.5 inch for infants), that's what matters more. If ribs break, that's okay, do not stop CPR.

Source: National Institutes of Health

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11458643/
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Es posible que hayas escuchado que se pueden romper costillas al realizar RCP en alguien. ¡Esto es cierto! Las fracturas de costillas ocurren aproximadamente el 30% de las veces, y algunas fuentes indican que puede suceder hasta en el 50% de los casos.

El mito es que deberías intentar romper costillas durante la RCP. Aunque es cierto que puede ocurrir, no estás tratando de provocarlo ni de evitarlo; simplemente debes entender que es una posibilidad. Mientras realices las compresiones a la velocidad adecuada de 100–120 por minuto y a una profundidad de 2 pulgadas (1.5 pulgadas en bebés), eso es lo que realmente importa. Si las costillas se rompen, está bien; no detengas la RCP.

Fuente: National Institutes of Health

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11458643/

06/04/2026

Happy CPR and AED awareness week from Iowa Heart Foundation! We love being out in the community and sharing lifesaving education.

06/03/2026

Hands-only CPR really puts the power in your hands to save a life during a cardiac emergency.

If you come across an unresponsive person we want you to remember:

1. Call 911
2. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest
3. Use an AED as soon as possible

Continue following the AED's prompts and doing CPR until help arrives.



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La RCP solo con las manos realmente pone el poder en tus manos para salvar una vida durante una emergencia cardíaca.

Si encuentras a una persona que no responde, queremos que recuerdes:

1. Llama al 911
2. Empuja fuerte y rápido en el centro del pecho
3. Usa un DEA lo antes posible

Continúa siguiendo las indicaciones del DEA y realizando RCP hasta que llegue la ayuda.

06/02/2026

You never know when you might become a bystander to a cardiac emergency.
Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside of hospitals in the United States. Most occur in homes or public settings where immediate medical help is unavailable. That means it's up to you to call for help, start CPR, and use an AED until EMS arrive.

The power to save a life is in your hands.

Source: American Red Cross

https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/resources/articles/cpr-aed-awareness-week?srsltid=AfmBOoo4xEkcaCiGdM-H7Skm7t-nZ_7to-uRf6i6oj00PC-n7NZ_Jc9T

06/02/2026

This week we recognize National CPR & AED Awareness Week. This week is a call to action for every American to:

- Get certified through accredited training programs
- Learn CPR skills (including Hands-Only CPR)
- Spread awareness within your workplace, school or community
- Understand how to use an AED

All week we will be sharing helpful information about hands-only CPR and using an AED.

Source: American Red Cross

https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/resources/articles/cpr-aed-awareness-week?srsltid=AfmBOoo4xEkcaCiGdM-H7Skm7t-nZ_7to-uRf6i6oj00PC-n7NZ_Jc9T

05/31/2026

May 31 is World No To***co Day to raise global awareness about the deadly effects of to***co use and second-hand smoke.

Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is responsible for 1 in every 4 deaths from CVD. Even secondhand smoke exposure can lead to heart disease and stroke.

Quitting smoking can protect people from cardiovascular disease and death. People who already have heart disease also benefit from quitting smoking (CDC).

For more information on quitting smoking, please go to Quitline Iowa at https://quitlineiowa.org/en-us/

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

https://www.cdc.gov/to***co/about/cigarettes-and-cardiovascular-disease.html

05/29/2026

When it comes to talking to someone who has experienced a cardiac event or has a chronic heart condition it can be hard to know what to say. The biggest thing is to be supportive, and letting that person know you are there to listen if they need to talk.

Saying something about how they don’t look any different is almost like telling that person, “well you can’t actually be sick if you don’t look like it” which is not the case for many people experiencing heart conditions. Invisible symptoms are still symptoms that impact someone’s life.

Source: British Heart Foundation

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/wellbeing/relationships-and-heart-problems

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Cuando hablas con alguien que ha experimentado un evento cardíaco o vive con una afección cardíaca crónica, puede ser difícil saber qué decir. Lo más importante es brindar apoyo y hacerle saber que estás allí para escuchar si necesita hablar.

Evita comentarios como “no te ves diferente”. Aunque tengan buena intención, pueden sonar como: “bueno, no puedes estar realmente enfermo si no lo pareces”. Muchas personas con afecciones cardíacas experimentan síntomas que no son visibles para los demás. Los síntomas invisibles siguen siendo reales y pueden afectar significativamente la vida diaria de una persona.

Fuente: British Heart Foundation

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/wellbeing/relationships-and-heart-problems