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"Stayin Alive" Helps You Stay Alive

Posted by samzenpus on from the truthful-advertising dept.

In a small study conducted at the University of Illinois medical school, doctors and students maintained close to the ideal number of chest compressions doing CPR while listening to the Bee Gees hit, "Stayin' Alive." At 103 beats per minute, the old disco song has almost the perfect rhythm to help keep accurate time while doing chest compressions. The study showed the song helped people who already know how to do CPR, and the results were promising enough to warrant larger, more definitive studies with real patients or untrained people. I wonder what intrinsic power is contained in "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?"

31 comments

  1. Staying alive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I need to get out more, when I read "Staying Alive", I thought they were referring to Still Alive.Which, when you think about it, would help you stay alive in the scenario that you wake up in an Aperture Science Lab.

  2. And after... by dtdns · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...you get your CPR, you can sing "Still Alive" from Portal.

    1. Re:And after... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      ...you get your CPR, you can sing "Still Alive" from Portal.

      And if it doesn't work, there's always Queen, "Another one bites the dust".

    2. Re:And after... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Strangely 'Another one bites the dust' was exactly the song I'd heard you should also keep time with when doing CPR.

      Prosecutor - 'Mr Witness can you please tell the court why you don't believe the defendant was trying to save the victim?'
      Witness- 'Because he was humming the tune to 'another one bites the dust' to himself'

    3. Re:And after... by phorge · · Score: 1

      You say this as a joke, but my girlfriends ACLS instructor (she's a nurse) pointed out that you can, indeed, use Queen's "Another one bites the dust". The bpm is nearly identical.

      Ironic.

  3. Re:Someone please kill me by oxidiser · · Score: 1

    You could, ummm... not read them.

  4. Re:Someone please kill me by fred+ugly · · Score: 1

    Before I have to read another Idle story.

    have to?

  5. CPR is for the good of all of us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Except the ones who are dead.

    1. Re:CPR is for the good of all of us by PMuse · · Score: 1

      Except the ones who are dead.

      And, except for the ones whose hearts are beating.

      (broken ribs, bruising, induced arrhythmias -- no fun at all)

      --
      "We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." --The American President (20.1.2009)
  6. Re:Someone please kill me by geekoid · · Score: 1

    I'm busy, but I'm sure you can find a bridge nearby and take care of it yourself.
    or, not read the idle stories, whichever.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  7. Sure, but what if you're successful by CrazyJim1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    The patient wakes up hearing someone on top of them singing disco. They'll probably think they woke up in hell, have a stroke and die.

    --
    God spoke to me.
    1. Re:Sure, but what if you're successful by aardwolf64 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Or maybe that everything since the 70s was just a big dream...

    2. Re:Sure, but what if you're successful by lastchance_000 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Here's a list of alternatives.

    3. Re:Sure, but what if you're successful by ReverendLoki · · Score: 3, Informative

      If you want an alternative, Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust" also works. I'm sure the recipient would much rather here that upon regaining consciousness... Plus, the added benefit of the joy in the faces of the patient's loved ones when they recognize what you are humming under your breath, as their beloved friend/family member slowly slips away!

      --
      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
    4. Re:Sure, but what if you're successful by Brynath · · Score: 1

      .... Here's a list of alternatives.....

      ---

      Here is a "Jem" from that list that will make someone receiving CPR want to kill themselves:

      Los Del Rio Macarena 103 BPM RCA Records 1995

    5. Re:Sure, but what if you're successful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Rick Astley
      Never Gonna Give You Up
      114 BPM

      Beat that

  8. Re:Someone please kill me by easyTree · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm busy, but I'm sure you can find a bridge nearby and take care of it yourself.

    See? This is the kind of community spirit that idle encourages. Slashdotters who can't be bothered to kill a fellow Slashdotter as an act of charity. Truly, idle is pants.

    --
    Requiem for the American Dream
  9. Re:Someone please kill me by Reikk · · Score: 0, Funny

    Maybe this can help keep BSD alive

  10. Say What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We've actually already started implementing this technique for a couple of years in EMT and Paramedic School.

    1. Re:Say What? by Werkhaus · · Score: 1

      Time to CPR an old post.

      An easy way to remember the timing was shown to me by a paramedic and diving instructor.
      30 compressions is the chorus of "Nellie The Elephant"

      NELLie the ELephant PACKed her TRUNK and SAID goodBYE to the CIR - CUS,
      OFF she WENT with a TRUMPety TRUMP, TRUMP, TRUMP
      NELLie the ELephant PACKed her TRUNK and TRUNdled OFF to the JUN - GLE
      OFF she WENT with a TRUMPety TRUMP, TRUMP, TRUMP

      If you sing the Toy Dolls version
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otBWbVdvxLk [youtube.com]
      you'll even get the 100bpm about right.

  11. I tried CPR on a sleeping person... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    But there's no sense crying over every mistake, you just keep on trying...

  12. Been Reading /. Too Long by BigAssRat · · Score: 1

    Got this from the database...first read it as "Cowboy Neal" as the singer.

    "Neal McCoy" "That Woman Of Mine" 103 BPM Atlantic Records 1996

  13. Who woulda thought... by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

    You say this as a joke, but my girlfriends ACLS instructor (she's a nurse) pointed out that you can, indeed, use Queen's "Another one bites the dust". The bpm is nearly identical.

    Ironic.

    "Ironic" is kinda slow for CPR... Don'cha think?

    --
    Bow-ties are cool.
    1. Re:Who woulda thought... by E+IS+mC(Square) · · Score: 1

      "Doncha Think" - with its uneven beats, I am not sure how it can be useful in CPR.

  14. Could be worse by hob42 · · Score: 1

    One of my CPR instructors taught us to use the beat of "another one bites the dust".

  15. Pour Vous by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://spaz.mindstab.net/djspaz_-_still_alive_glados_reawakened_mix.mp3

  16. And what caused the heart attack? by Quila · · Score: 1

    Night Fever

  17. My song... by MagicDude · · Score: 1

    When I did my EMT training, the song I learned was "Another one bites the dust". My instructor also told us not to start singing during compressions.

  18. This is nothing new by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've been certified for 13 years and I remember being taught the "Staying Alive" trick way back then. Now it's been studied and it's suddenly news.