first response

first reponse

cardiac arrest

$\longrightarrow$ a heart attack can cause cardiac arrest

sudden OHCA with unsuccessful CPR : third leading cause of death in industrialised nations
after OHCA : survival rate is 2-10%
in Europe and US together : 700.000 people die / year
EMS response time : 6-12 minutes
following cardiac arrest : brain starts to die after only 3-5 min

70% of OHCA : witnessed by family members, friends and other bystanders $\longrightarrow$ laypeople
lethal gap on time before EMS : can be bridged by these people
first minutes after OHCA : still oxygen in the blood and lungs, chest compressions can save hundreds of thousands of lives each year
CPR by bystanders increases chances of survival 2-4 times

call 112 and follow their instructions
if someone is there to help, ask them to call 112 for you, and let them fetch an AED
Cardiac compressions are most important for survival
Do not delay or interrupt cardiac compressions

Place both hands in the centre of the chest
Compress the chest 5 to 6 cm 100-120 times / min to the rhythm of "Stayin' Alive"
If you learned how to do it, provide 2 rescue breaths between every 30 compressions, otherwise pump the chest continuously
Push hard and fast. Don't worry, you can't do any harm
If an AED arrives, switch it on immediately and follow the instructions
Once the emergency services arrive, continue until you are told to stop
Well done! Doing something saves lives and is ALWAYS better than doing nothing