Most people would feel helpless in responding to a sudden cardiac collapse, without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instruction or training. Simply put, with statistics strongly indicating that over 80 per cent of cardiac arrests occur at home, the life you may save by learning CPR is most likely to be someone you love.
‘Your hands can save a loved one’s life!’ is this year’s theme for European Restart a Heart Day, which is being marked on October 16 of each year by the European Resuscitation Council.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can occur at any age, often claiming victims during their most productive years, and thus devastating unprepared families.
In view of this, the European Parliament recognised the importance of raising public cardiac arrest awareness and the importance of learning CPR by implementing a declaration in 2012, signed by the majority of MEPs, to assist in improving the survival figures of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims.
When SCA occurs, blood stops flowing to the brain, the heart and the rest of the body and the person collapses. In fact, the victim is clinically dead and will remain so unless someone helps immediately.
By performing CPR you can do nothing wrong; the only thing that can be wrong is doing nothing at all
It can be treated successfully through early CPR, cardiac defibrillation, EMS advanced cardiac life support and in hospital through therapeutic hypothermia in intensive care units.
Through trained early bystander CPR intervention, including the use of the automated external defibrillator during the initial five minutes, post cardiac arrest survival statistics can increase significantly by two to three times.
Over the past 12 months, the Malta Resuscitation Council has supported and played an active role in ensuring that two of the links in the all-important chain of cardiac arrest survival in Malta were strengthened.
This was done firstly by promoting the teaching of basic life support to our children at school by encouraging the Department of Education to introduce BLS teaching within the National School Curriculum.
This would ensure that every child leaves school with an added life skill which will definitely strengthen the health of our community.
Secondly, we promoted the introduction of further automated external defibrillators to be placed within various strategic public locations especially where large numbers of people normally gather, which makes the risk of sudden cardiac arrest occurrence greater.
Earlier this year, the Malta Resuscitation Council supported the noble endeavour by the organisers of the Maratona bir-Roti project at San Ġorġ Preca School in Ħamrun to introduce these lifesaving machines in as many local schools as possible. Time will attest to the importance of this civic venture.
The home environment is the scene for about four out of five of all sudden cardiac arrests and almost 60 per cent of these are witnessed by the victims’ family members.
In addition it is estimated that about 95 per cent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital.
Survival is directly linked to the time delay between the onset of cardiac arrest and initiation of CPR and defibrillation.
If no bystander CPR is provided, a victim’s chances of survival are reduced by seven to 10 per cent with every minute of delay until defibrillation.
Thus, through this year’s Restart a Heart campaign, ‘Your hands can save a loved one’s life,’ the Malta Resuscitation Council is encouraging cardiac arrest awareness among the family members of patients with a higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest by advising CPR training. Statistically speaking, if called on to administer CPR in an emergency, the life you may save through training is likely to be someone at home: a child, a parent or a friend.
CPR training can be carried out through the various First Aid training bodies within the community. In addition it has been shown that viewing of CPR instructional videos may lead to an increased initiative to attempt to start lifesaving resuscitation. The Council emphasises the fact that by performing CPR you can do nothing wrong; the only thing that can be wrong is doing nothing at all.
With a cardiac arrest occurring roughly every 45 seconds within Europe, further CPR training by members within the family unit will ensure that many a loved one’s life will certainly be saved!
Learn CPR at www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_VCW8x01Ug.
Jonathan Joslin is the chairman of the Malta Resuscitation Council.