Know how to save a life: The importance of CPR and defibrillation
Know how to save a life: The importance of CPR and defibrillation
The importance of CPR and defibrillation
Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. It strikes without warning and is one of Australia’s leading causes of death.
Over 30,000 Australian’s experience a sudden cardiac arrest each year and less than 5% survive because they don’t have access to lifesaving defibrillation.
That’s because for every minute CPR and defibrillation are delayed, a person’s chance of survival drops by 10%.
But the good news is, immediate CPR and rapid defibrillation can improve a person’s chance of survival by up to 75%, if applied within the first few critical minutes of collapse.
What is sudden cardiac arrest?
Sudden cardiac arrest is a time-sensitive, life-threating medical emergency.
It is a condition where the heart’s rhythm suddenly becomes irregular (arrythmia), stopping the heart from pumping blood and oxygen to the body’s vital organs.
If left untreated, a lack of oxygen and nutrients to the organs starts to cause damage within minutes, particularly to the brain, and can lead to death in just 10 minutes.
Know the signs
Within seconds, a person will collapse, become unresponsive, and stop breathing or stop breathing normally.
While sudden cardiac arrest typically occurs with no warning at all, in some cases, a person may experience chest discomfort, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations prior to collapse.
What should I do if someone is in sudden cardiac arrest?
Recognising someone is in sudden cardiac arrest is the first step in the chain of survival, a series of steps that maximises the chances of survival for someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
If you recognise someone is in sudden cardiac arrest:
- Call Emergency Services
- Begin CPR
- Get an automatic external defibrillator (AED) or have someone grab one for you
How to do CPR
If a person is unresponsive and not breathing, begin CPR immediately.
For an adult, overlap your hands and place them in the middle of the patient’s chest. Keep your arms straight and push down to a depth of approximately one third (1/3) of the patient’s chest.
For an infant, place two fingers in the middle of their chest just below the nipple line; DO NOT press on the end of the breastbone. Push down approximately 4 cm or 1.5 inches.
Keep doing CPR until an AED is available or Emergency Services arrive.
If you don’t know how to do CPR, or need a refresher, take a first aid course to make sure you’re prepared for emergencies.
What is an AED?
An AED delivers an electrical shock (current) across the heart. This shock attempts to reset the heart to help it return to a normal rhythm, ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) are the only heart rhythms treatable with defibrillation.
While CPR helps to keep some blood and oxygen circulating to the vital organs, defibrillation is the only way to restart the heart.
Be prepared with a personal defibrillator
While AEDs are available in many public places like airports and shopping centres, they aren’t accessible in the home, where 80% of sudden cardiac arrest happen.
Having an ultracompact, ultraportable personal AED, like CellAED®, in your home or business can dramatically reduce the time it takes to defibrillation, significantly improving a person’s chance of survival.
CellAED® is easy-to-use and provides step-by-step voice instructions to guide you through the CPR and defibrillation steps.
It is also small enough to carry in your handbag or backpack, so you have essential lifesaving equipment wherever you go.
Be prepared to save a life
By knowing how to recognise sudden cardiac arrest, learning CPR, and carrying a personal AED like CellAED®, you’ll be prepared and ready to save a life.
Together, we can help save more lives from sudden cardiac arrest.