最近，美國的醫生們新奇地發現老牌樂團比吉斯1977年發表的迪斯科舞曲《活著》可以幫助他們在幫心臟病人做心肺復蘇時更好地掌握節奏。美國心臟協會要求心肺復蘇時的心臟按壓頻率為每分鐘100下，而這首舞曲每分鐘的節奏為103下，二者頻率相當吻合。聽著這首舞曲接受心肺復蘇訓練的醫學院學生在做心臟按壓時也能很好地控制頻率。

U.S. doctors have found the Bee Gees 1977 disco anthem "Stayin' Alive" provides an ideal beat to follow while performing chest compressions as part of CPR on a heart attack victim.

The American Heart Association calls for chest compressions to be given at a rate of 100 per minute in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). "Stayin' Alive" almost perfectly matches that, with 103 beats per minute.

CPR is a lifesaving technique involvingchest compressions alone or with mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing. It is used in emergencies such as cardiac arrest in which a person's breathing or heartbeat has stopped.

CPR can triple survival rates, but some people are reluctant to do it in part because they are unsure about the proper rhythm for chest compressions. But research has shown many people do chest compressions too slowly during CPR.

In a small study headed by Dr. David Matlock of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, listening to "Stayin' Alive" helped 15 doctors and medical students to perform chest compressions on dummies at the proper speed.

Five weeks after practicing with the music playing, they were asked to perform CPR again on dummies by keeping the song in their minds, and again they kept up a good pace.

"The theme 'Stayin' Alive' is very appropriate for the situation," Matlock said in a telephone interview on Thursday. "Everybody's heard it at some point in their life. People know the song and can keep it in their head."

The findings will be presented this month at a meeting of the American College of Emergency Physicians in Chicago.

Vocabulary:

cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): 心肺復蘇

chest compression: 心臟按壓

mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing: 口對口人工呼吸