Most people suffering a cardiac arrest at home still do not survive
Preston charity Heartbeat offers potentially life-saving advice on how to deal with cardiac arrests.
The vast majority of people suffering a cardiac arrest in their homes or in a public place still do not survive, according to new research.
Analysis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in England by the University of Warwick Clinical Trials Unit found fewer than one in 12 patients survive to 30 days.
Preston based charity Heartbeat is now calling for more people to learn life-saving techniques and for greater awareness of defibrillators, which can restart the heart.
A sudden cardiac arrest is the immediate loss of all heart activity due to an irregular heart rhythm. Breathing stops and the person becomes unconscious. This is very different from a heart attack, which involves a blockage in one of the coronary arteries.
Immediate treatment - such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or the use of a defibrillator - can mean people survive cardiac arrests, but unfortunately most die.
Debbie Crossley is a cardiac physiologist at the charity and says education is key:
"The CPR that's carried out in the home is absolutely crucial. If someone witnesses somebody having a cardiac arrest, the sooner they can start doing CPR until the ambulance comes the better because when the ambulance gets there, they can deliver the shock to the heart.
"The part between the cardiac arrest happening and the ambulance arriving is classed as a holding stage. CPR isn't necessarily going to bring the person round, but what it does is keeps oxygen circulating around the body to prevent the injury being worse.
"The other thing to highlight is that you're not going to do any harm with CPR. If you suspect somebody is in cardiac arrest - you will do more harm by doing nothing. If you start to do CPR you won't make the situation worse, and if the person isn't in cardiac arrest and suddenly comes round; then they will just tell you to stop. People are often frightened that they could do more harm but they won't.
Jo Duff is also a cardiac physiologist based at Heartbeat, which is located next to Preston North End's stadium: "If someone doesn't look like they're breathing normally- even if it's just a breath now and again - you should start CPR straight away. A lot of people wait for certain signs or try to take a pulse or listen for a breath, but you will be able to tell by the colour of somebody if oxygen isn't getting around the body. If it doesn’t appear that they're breathing normally, start CPR.
"Nobody will hold up a sign and say 'I need resuscitating' - you just need to know what to do in that situation. And, It's important to have this information before a cardiac arrest occurs. Often people find out what to do after the event, but people need to know what to do before it happens."
Heartbeat is the North West's leading cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation charity, providing services for nearly 1,000 people every single week. Based in Preston and working in the surrounding areas, the charity has supported heart patients and those at risk since 1978.
The charity can help with the supply of defibrillators, as well as defibrillator and CPR training in the community. You can find out more here.