Study: 'Stayin' Alive' Helps CPR Work
Tulsa World
Oct 20, 2008
CHICAGO -- "Stayin' Alive" might be more true to its name than the Bee Gees ever could have guessed: At 103 beats per minute, the old disco song has almost the perfect rhythm to help jump-start a stopped heart.
And in a small but intriguing study from the University of Illinois medical school, doctors and students maintained close to the ideal number of chest compressions doing CPR while listening to the catchy tune from the 1977 movie "Saturday Night Fever."
The American Heart Association recommends 100 chest compressions per minute, far more than most people realize, study author Dr. David Matlock said Thursday.
He found that "Stayin' Alive," which has a way of getting stuck in your head anyway, can help with that.
Dr. Matthew Gilbert, 28, a medical resident, was among participants in the study. He has since revived real patients by keeping the song in his head while doing CPR, he said.
"I heard a rumor that 'Another One Bites the Dust' (by Queen) works also," he said, "but it didn't seem quite as appropriate."
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