Top 5 BEST songs to match your compressions to

There are a ton of great songs to play in your head as you steadily bounce up and down (pause) doing your compressions. Yes, it’s true that most new-age devices have metronomes for you to use; however, that ticking can be annoying and is, more often than not, turned off or just not used. So I’ll do a quick explanation on what kind of songs you’re looking for and why, and then I’ll indepthly list my top 5 songs!

Why are we looking for a song?

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a critical-life saving technique that is used when someone’s heart is no longer pumping. You are essentially becoming the pump, and it’s important that you do it correctly. The point of having a song to match your compressions to is so that you are compressing (pumping) and decompressing (the recoil) efficiently enough to supply oxygen flow to the heart. You don't want to do it too slowly or too quickly. Guidelines state they want 100 beats per minute, so theoretically, any songs around that range should work!

Pop Throwback

Let's say you're in an inspirational moment, perhaps drafting up the words for a blog or making a painting in your free time, when you receive the alarm for a patient that is not conscious and not breathing. The song "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield is a classic one to use for CPR. It is a 5-minute song with 100 beats per minute and could be appropriate to play in the back of your mind to make sure those compressions are at the rate we want.

Rap Throwback

Now in this scenario, maybe you're working out and getting a quick pump in with the guys, and you're feeling energetic, but still you kind of want a throwback. Well, believe it or not Get Low by Lil John is one that will be the song of choice that will bounce around in my head. This song is 4;48 minutes long with about 101 bpm. I think it's a classic throwback as well as such a catchy song, there's no way I don't consistently do my compressions at the right rate.

Indie/pop/house

Occasionally, I'll have some of those days where I'm enjoying some Indie/pop/ house mix and you're just feeling life's all good and you're just chugging along, marking each checkbox one at a time. If I receive the call to action at this time, I might consider "Intro" by The XX. Yes, a lot of old songs, but hey, it's the songs you used to hear all the time on the radio while your mom drives you home at night, right? Core memories. That song is 5;24 long with about 98 BPM. You can speed up a tiny bit, and you'll hit that benchmark.

This spot ALMOST went to " I want it that way"- by the Backstreet Boys, but through my research I found a song thats indefinitely better. Turns out "My Heart will go on"- by Celine Dion. This song will hopefully come true for your patient as you compress and compress. There is a chance that most of the songs previously listed would not be known by the oldheads in the officer positions. What an excellent pregame song to play for everyone to get their mind right prior to patient contact.

Pop again

And the last song I'll pick for this list will be "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. That song is absolutely known by everyone in existence, and its melody and beat will indubitably keep you at the rate needed for compressions.

There are many other songs that could be used in these situations, as these are just some of my favorites. Whatever the case its important you find a few you can remember well, as the rate of compressions is a critical step in maintaining perfusion of the heart and is a vital part in potentially resuscitating someone!