The American Heart Association (AHA) has issued a statement addressing the inaccurate portrayal of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the recently released sequel to the iconic film "The Devil Wears Prada." In a dramatic scene, a character collapses from sudden cardiac arrest, but the CPR attempts shown are flawed, with no one calling 9-1-1 and compressions that are unrealistic and ineffective. The AHA warns that such depictions can normalize hesitation and incorrect responses in real-life emergencies, potentially costing lives.
"In real life, there is no room for feeling powerless when someone's heart stops," said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., volunteer president of the AHA. "Hands-only CPR is simple, effective and something anyone can do. You don't need medical training, perfection or permission – just the willingness to act immediately." The AHA emphasizes two critical steps: calling 911 immediately and performing hands-only CPR by pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a song with 100-120 beats per minute. The song "RUNWAY" by Lady Gaga and Doechii, featured in the film, is cited as having the perfect tempo for effective compressions.
According to the AHA, every minute without high-quality CPR reduces a person's chance of survival by 7-10%. The organization's Nation of Lifesavers campaign aims to educate the public and encourage immediate action. The AHA notes that a recent study found CPR is frequently misrepresented in scripted television, including who receives it and where cardiac arrests occur. The Association, identified by the Annenberg Public Policy Center as the most trusted public health information source after personal healthcare providers, urges filmmakers to accurately portray life-saving techniques.
Learning hands-only CPR is easy and can save lives. The AHA provides a simple video on its website at www.heart.org/CPR and offers CPR courses at training centers. The organization, which has funded over $6 billion in cardiovascular research over the past 75 years, stresses that bystander response with correct compression rate and depth supports the chain of survival until professional help arrives. As Miranda Priestly might say, "That's all."
