Tag: cardiac arrest

Witnessed or given CPR?

@CHSScotland have launched an advice line with trained healthcare professionals to listen and help you process what you’ve experienced and provide advice, support and a friendly, listening ear.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland has partnered with the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Resuscitation Research Group at the University of Edinburgh (RRG) to launch a pilot service to support those who witness or provide CPR to someone who experiences cardiac arrest at home or in the community.

The Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OCHA) Aftercare project is funded by the Scottish Government and will provide access to support for anyone participating in CPR or witnessing CPR outwith a hospital setting.

It is estimated that between 3,000 and 6,000 Scots are involved in providing CPR after cardiac arrest to members of the public each year. This can be a traumatic experience, which can impact on their wellbeing and result in emotional and social challenges.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland has produced wallet-sized cards promoting the service for paramedics, police, and firefighters to give directly to members of the public at the scene of the incident. Each card includes the Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Advice Line number, so people can immediately call an advisor to talk through what happened.

Speaking at the launch of the OHCA service, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Chief Executive, Jane-Claire Judson, said: “Every year, thousands of Scots carry out CPR or witness CPR being performed on someone at home or in a public place.  This can be a traumatic experience, and until now there has been little support available.

“We are delighted to be launching this pilot service in partnership with the Scottish Ambulance Service and funded by the Scottish Government. Emergency services staff giving out our advice line cards at the scene of the incident means people can get help immediately, or at whatever point afterwards they feel they need it.”

Steven Short, Programme Lead for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest for The Scottish Ambulance Service said: “Performing or witnessing potentially life-saving CPR can be a difficult experience to process. The launch of this innovative pilot service means that all individuals who are affected by out-of-hospital cardiac arrest can easily and quickly access support and, if needed, further aftercare.

“Ambulance service clinicians who respond to these cardiac arrests will have the wallet cards to give out on scene. The details on the cards will enable those who need it to access the advice line to talk through what has happened with an advisor and help them process the events.”

Dr Gareth Clegg, Principal Investigator, RRG, University of Edinburgh commented: “Attempting to help save the life of a loved one or neighbour by performing CPR or using a public access defibrillator is the right thing to do, but helping out can leave bystanders with questions, and sometimes a need to talk things through.

“This groundbreaking initiative signals a commitment to caring for those who have been willing to step up when someone in their community has suffered an OHCA.”

Lived Experience – Lynsey Duncan

Lynsey Duncan is the Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Deputy Head of Clinical Services. A registered nurse, she lives in Buckie with her husband and two daughters.

In November 2021, Lynsey’s father-in-law John collapsed at home after a cardiac arrest. Lynsey battled for 20 minutes to save his life, performing CPR, before paramedics arrived. Sadly, their efforts were in vain and John, 70, passed away.

As a nurse, Lynsey had been involved in CPR before, but the aftermath of John’s death was different because she’d never had to administer the treatment to a member of her own family. The experience left her upset but she didn’t want to share her feelings with her grieving loved ones.

That’s why Lynsey fully supports the Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Aftercare project. Here she explains why.

“My father-in-law John was a farmer and he’d been diagnosed with farmer’s lung – that’s a respiratory disease caused by exposure to dust from hay, straw and grain. We’d seen a deterioration in his health over a few years, and he and my mother-in-law, Pat, moved from the farm into Buckie, near to where my husband Steven and I and our two girls live.

“We’d been on a family holiday with them two weeks’ earlier, and I noticed John was quite unwell and struggling to breathe. About a week later, he was given oxygen to have at home to help his breathing.

“On that day – it was November 5, 2021 – my girls had friends over for tea. I was busy making food and Steven had taken the dogs for a walk. He called me and told me to get to his mum and dad’s immediately. I knew something was seriously wrong, so I jumped in the car and headed over.

“Pat met me at the front door and told me John had fallen. He was in the bathroom. As soon as I saw him, I knew he hadn’t fallen. I knew he’d collapsed. Pat was on the phone to 999, telling them John had fallen, but I took the phone and explained he had arrested, and we needed help right away.

“I started to perform CPR. I’m a nurse. I’ve done this before. But it’s very different to be doing this to someone you know, someone you’re close to.

“He had been propped up against the toilet. I got him on to the floor and started chest compressions. I spent 20 minutes doing this. And throughout all of this, my mother-in-law was standing watching. It was an awful experience.

“We live in Buckie, which is fairly rural, so the first people to come were the wildcat responders. They are volunteers who are trained to provide early CPR and defibrillation. One of them took over from me as I was exhausted. Then the paramedics arrived and took control.

“My husband had arrived by then, too. I just ran to him and had a bit of a meltdown. I told him not to go through to the bathroom and kept saying to him ‘I tried, I tried’ because I knew John was gone.

“The paramedics worked on John for another 30 minutes, but it was too late. It was horrific for all of us, especially Pat. She kept saying ‘John wouldn’t want this’. She’d said that to me, but I’m a nurse – once I’d started the compressions, I couldn’t stop. And the paramedics were the same. They had to do everything possible.

“We then had to wait for the police to come because obviously this was a sudden death. And it was only when I was speaking to the police about what had happened that the enormity of it hit me.

“I kept going over it in my head, thinking ‘what just happened?’ I had bruises on my hands and cuts on my knees from the force of sitting on the bathroom floor doing CPR for so long. I even lost a toenail because I’d been leaning so heavily on my toes.

“But I couldn’t share any of this with my family because they were grieving. I didn’t want to tell them I was worried I hadn’t done enough. I felt guilty even though I had no reason to.

“That’s why I think this initiative is so important. I’m a trained medical professional, but when a nurse friend called me the next day, I broke down when I told her what had happened. What I really needed was to talk to someone who wasn’t emotionally attached who could reassure me I’d done what I could. And that is hopefully what the Advice Line will be able to do for anyone involved in an out of hospital cardiac arrest.

“I’ll never underestimate what my mother-in-law went through. She wasn’t only witnessing the death of her husband but her daughter-in-law trying to save him. I can only imagine the emotions she was feeling. If the emergency services had been able to give us both a card that said the Advice Line was there for support, I think she might have made that call. That might have been further down the line for Pat, but for me, it would have been immediately.

“Pat and my husband and my sister-in-law are fully supportive of me telling John’s story like this. They had no idea how this had affected me until they watched the video I made. They want to make sure everyone is supported when they need it after an incident like this.”

Anyone wishing to contact the CHSS Advice Line can do so on 0808 801 0899 or at adviceline@chss.org.uk

Save a life! The Restart a Heart campaign aims to save more lives

The Restart a Heart campaign starts today (Mon 16 October), a  lifesaving initiative aiming to help save more lives across Scotland by teaching people vital resuscitation skills which can be used if someone goes into cardiac arrest. 

Around 3,200 people in Scotland have an Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) every year with people in deprived areas twice as likely to have one. 

Survival rates for OHCA have doubled in Scotland in the past eight years due to initiatives such as Restart a Heart and the public are being encouraged to sign up so we can improve further.  

Steven Short, the Scottish Ambulance Service’s OHCA Programme Lead, said: “Every second counts when someone has a cardiac arrest. Early CPR and the use of a defibrillator is essential to increasing the chances of survival. 

“With most cardiac arrests happening at home, knowing CPR and being confident to act could save a loved one’s life. The chances of survival reduces by around 10% for every minute without CPR, so it’s essential that as many people as possible sign up to learn these lifesaving skills. You never know when you might need them.”  

One member of the public who has benefitted is John Hooper, of Milngavie. John, a dad-of one and grandfather of three, was recently reunited with ambulance crew Sophie Barrett and Kayleigh MacDonald, both of Leverndale Ambulance Station, who saved his life after he collapsed while out running outside Clober Golf Club on Craigton Road, Milngavie, on May 18, 2023. 

John said: “Thanks to a neighbour and several bystanders, I was given CPR immediately and a defibrillator was brought out from the golf club. Ambulance service personnel then arrived and continued to give me lifesaving treatment before taking me to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. 

“Were it not for the efforts of everyone involved I would not be here today. I am so grateful to your staff. Having performed CPR several times myself when I was an operational fire officer, I never thought it would need to be performed on me.

“My family and me sincerely thank everyone involved and hope they know how much it means to us. I am still here to be with them. I’ll be forever grateful.” 

John is pictured with Sophie, on the left, and Kayleigh

Find out more and get ‘CPR ready’ by visiting www.savealife.scot 

Public urged to help save lives by joining the GoodSAM App Movement

Over 3,000 people in Scotland have an out of hospital cardiac arrest every year and every second counts. The public can help by dialling 999, starting CPR – or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – and using a defibrillator it can help save lives.

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has urged people up to GoodSAM, an app which has shown a substantial increase in survival by supporting early intervention, ensuring a quicker response by community responders and Scottish Ambulance teams.

The benefit of using GoodSam was highlighted at the annual Scottish Cardiac Arrest Symposium held in Edinburgh (6 September 2023).

Michael Dickson, SAS Chief Executive said: “When a cardiac arrest occurs we know every second counts, the earlier CPR happens the greater the chances of survival. The public can help by joining GoodSam and find out how to carry out CPR.

“I would encourage everyone to find out more by visiting www.savealife.scot/GoodSAM – you can really make a difference.”

Dundee-based Chris Allison read about the app in a newspaper article, which inspired him to register a few years ago. Chris volunteers for the HM Coastguard and wanted to further help out his local community by becoming a GoodSAM responder.

He was lying in bed early one morning when he received a GoodSAM notification for a cardiac arrest happening around the corner. He quickly raced to the scene.

He found the patient’s wife administering CPR whilst quite distressed, so he took over until the paramedics arrived shortly after. He stayed with the paramedics to assist and after a lot of hard work from all involved, they managed to get a pulse then transport the patient to hospital.

Chris said: “As I had previous experience of emergency medicine through my work, I felt it my duty to register as a GoodSAM responder.

“There is no right or wrong when it comes to CPR, but family members can often find it hard when they are highly distressed.

“The GoodSAM app is extremely valuable as it gives local people in their communities the ability and system to provide life-saving support.”

GoodSAM-Further-InformationDownload

Scots severely underestimate how many of us will get heart or circulatory disease  

 
  Scots severely underestimate the scale and seriousness of heart and circulatory diseases, according to a new survey by the British Heart Foundation.

 While it’s estimated around half of people in this country will get a heart or circulatory condition during our lifetime, more than a quarter (27 per cent) of those surveyed in Scotland thought the likelihood of them developing a heart condition was just 1 in 10, while over a fifth (22 per cent) thought the chance was just 1 in 50.

Only three per cent of respondents knew the correct answer – which is 1 in 2.   

When people were asked if they thought they would be directly affected, Gen Z (33 per cent) are most likely to think they will ever be affected by heart and circulatory diseases, whereas baby boomers are the least likely (22 per cent).     

Despite heart and circulatory conditions affecting men and women almost equally, only 27 per cent of women thought they could be at risk compared to 33 per cent of men.     

These perceptions stand in stark contrast to the fact that there are currently 700,000 people living with a heart or circulatory disease in Scotland.   

Worryingly, the survey also found confusion among members of the public about the seriousness of a heart attack and cardiac arrest. While both are life-threatening emergencies that require immediate medical treatment, only 79 per cent of Scots would call 999 for an ambulance if they thought a person was having a heart attack, while only 60 per cent of people considered a cardiac arrest a medical emergency.   

The BHF released the figures to coincide with the launch of a new campaign that aims to shine a spotlight on hidden heart conditions. The charity says that these conditions can often go undiagnosed for too long and that they often aren’t discovered until something goes wrong, or it becomes too late.   

For mum-of-two, Hannah Kirkpatrick, from Dalbeattie, the impact heart conditions can have on the family, is something she knows all too well.  

Her son Evan, now 10, was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an inherited heart condition which causes the heart muscle to thicken, when he was just 11 months old. But it wasn’t until August last year that he underwent surgery – a septal myectomy – which has helped improve his life.   

Hannah said: “He was only diagnosed with his heart condition by accident. When he was born, he had a bit of a flat head and, while it seemed to be getting better after a couple of months, his health visitor referred him to have a check over by his paediatrician.     

“At the appointment they spent a long time listening to his heart and I could just tell something was wrong. Why else would they be listening for so long? He was referred to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary for a scan where they detected a heart murmur. It was a huge shock.”  

Doctors said they would closely monitor Evan’s condition and saw him every six-months for regular check-ups. 

However, in March 2022 Evan started to become more breathless. His lips would also get a blue tinge after walking. Hannah, who is also mum to Caitlin, 22, and her husband, Christopher, took Evan back to his cardiologist and he was put on the waiting list for a septal myectomy – surgery which would remove some of the thickened muscle in his heart.   

The self-employed domestic cleaner, 40, said: “His surgery was on August 13, 2022, in Glasgow. It was meant to take around four to five hours. It was the worst day of my life, waiting and not knowing if he was going to be OK.”    

Thankfully Evan made a speedy recovery and within a few days the then nine year was back home. “He took everything in his stride and bounced back,” said Hannah. “It was a huge relief and we can look ahead to the future.” 

An estimated 27,000 people in Scotland have an inherited heart condition. The charity say heart and circulatory conditions can affect almost anyone at any stage of life regardless of lifestyle choices and family history which contradicts common misconception we may have in our heads of them only affecting those who may be older with unhealthy lifestyles. 

David McColgan, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “It is deeply concerning to see that so many people are unaware of the scale and seriousness of heart and circulatory diseases.     

“Decades of lifesaving medical advances have perhaps lulled people into believing that we’ve beaten heart and circulatory diseases when nothing could be further from the truth.     

“These potentially deadly or life-limiting conditions continue to rob families of loved ones or blight the lives of people facing a future with an incurable disease.     

“With this campaign we want to shine a spotlight on heart and circulatory diseases and help people understand that everyone can be affected.  

“By funding groundbreaking research, we can get a step closer to breakthroughs that that can save outsmart heart disease for good.”  

This September, the BHF is shining a spotlight on hidden heart conditions and urging the whole of the UK to get involved by supporting the charity however they can. Stories, stuff, time, or money: whatever you can give, please give.

Visit: https://spotlighton.bhf.org.uk/

Dobbies team members in Edinburgh won’t miss a beat with new lifesaving CPR training

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, has rolled out a potentially lifesaving defibrillator and CPR training programme in Edinburgh supporting the British Heart Foundation (BHF), to help improve survival rates from cardiac arrest.  

There are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year, but less than one in ten people survive, often because those around them don’t have the skills or confidence to perform CPR.   

Now to help save more lives, Dobbies’ 4,000 team members across all 76 of its stores, including Edinburgh, and its Central Support Office are being encouraged to complete RevivR – the BHF’s online tool which teaches vital CPR skills for free in just 15 minutes – and all that is needed is a mobile phone and a firm cushion to practice on.   

RevivR shows how to recognise a cardiac arrest, gives feedback on chest compressions and outlines the correct steps of using a defibrillator, giving anyone the confidence to help in the ultimate medical emergency.  

The retailer has also committed to registering all of its 77 defibrillators, one in each store and Central Support Office, on The Circuit2, the national defibrillator network, which connects defibrillators to NHS ambulance services across the UK. This ensures in those crucial moments after a cardiac arrest, they can be accessed quickly to help save lives. 

Paul Green, Head of People Experience, at Dobbies, said: “We are proud to be working with the British Heart Foundation on this important initiative, which we hope will help save lives.

“We want to enable all our team at the Edinburgh store to learn CPR and to know how simple defibrillators are to use. We are committed to creating a safe environment for our customers and our team, and I am proud to celebrate this landmark moment for our stores.” 

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation said: “A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time and it could happen to someone you love.

“Knowing what to do in those vital moments could mean the difference between life and death. We want to thank Dobbies for their support and for working with us to make sure even more people have the skills they need to save a life.” 

To find out more about RevivR please visit: https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/how-to-do-cpr/learn-cpr-in-15-minutes  

Visit TheCircuit.UK for more information or to register your defibrillator.   

Quick lifesaving skills save the life of an Edinburgh athlete at Meadowbank

A local man is thanking his lucky stars and staff at a popular city sports venue for saving his life, when he collapsed on the running track following a training session early in March.

Keith Ridley, 69, from Willowbrae, and a coach with Edinburgh Athletic Club had just finished his own training session on the outdoor running track at Meadowbank Sports Centre, before he was due to start training younger members of the club, when he collapsed.  

Thanks to the quick action of some medical students, who were training on the track, and Martin Bews, Operations Supervisor at Meadowbank Sports Centre, who administered CPR until the ambulance arrived to take over, Mr Ridley has lived to tell the tale.  Greg Cobb, a Welcome Host at Meadowbank, who had trained as a cardiac nurse in a previous life, also gave invaluable support to Martin at the time.

Keith was taken to the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, where he had two stents installed in blocked arteries and an ICD (implantable defibrillator) in his chest.

Keith Ridley said: “I count myself incredibly fortunate with the circumstances in which my heart attack happened and will be forever grateful for the quick actions of the medical students and the staff at Edinburgh Leisure’s Meadowbank Sports Centre, especially Martin and Greg, who most definitely saved my life. 

“Medical friends of mine have told me just how critical those first few minutes are in terms of the right care administered that can make the difference in saving a life.”

Claire Rusack, Operations Director at Edinburgh Leisure said: “We are so glad that Keith is doing well and on the road to recovery. We are so proud of all the team and for the great outcome.

“Edinburgh Leisure places a huge importance on equipping our staff with the necessary skills to cope with lots of different situations.  In this instance, their first aid training and accident and emergency procedures ensured an incident well managed. You hope you’ll never have to use your first aid skills, but it just highlights how critical these skills can be in saving someone’s life.”

Keith spent a week in hospital but recovered well and has now returned home.  On the advice of his cardiology nurse, he is undertaking light exercise including walking and hopes to return to a structured exercise programme in the near future. He is hoping that he might be eligible to be referred to Edinburgh Leisure’s Fit For Health programme to help with his rehabilitation.

Fit For Health is a 16-week physical activity referral programmed delivered by Edinburgh Leisure in partnership with the Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership. Sessions are delivered across various Edinburgh Leisure venues. 

Edinburgh Leisure offers First Aid courses, which are accredited by Ofqual and presented in association with the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK). These include First Aid at Work (Full 3 days); First Aid at Work (2 days refresher), Emergency First Aid at Work (1 day), Paediatric First Aid (2 days),

Emergency Paediatric First Aid (1 day). 

Edinburgh Leisure also run first aid courses for clubs and colleges.   These are in addition to their RLSS programme, and they welcome any requests.

For more information, visit: https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/swim-education#firstaid or email ata@edinburghleisure.co.uk

For more information:   www.edinburghleisure.co.uk

Scottish Ambulance Service launches use of life-saving app to alert those with CPR knowledge

To coincide with Restart a Heart Day 2022, the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has rolled out the use of a life-saving app to the whole of Scotland, which can alert those with CPR knowledge to attend a nearby cardiac arrest.

Every year about 3,200 people in Scotland are treated by the Ambulance Service after having a cardiac arrest. Every second counts when someone has had a cardiac arrest and by equipping bystanders with the tools to help, through dialling 999, starting CPR and using a defibrillator, those suffering a cardiac arrest have a greater chance of survival. 

The GoodSAM smartphone app is a mechanism that allows the ambulance service to alert responders in the community to the location of someone suffering a cardiac arrest. Once alerted, and the alert is accepted, it instantly shares the location of a 999 call, to notify those who are registered with the app and are within 1000m of the incident, so that they can quickly respond to provide potentially lifesaving cardio-pulmonary life support (CPR).

SAS first began using the app in 2020 to alert off-duty ambulance service staff to a nearby out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The app has also been successfully trialled with Community Cardiac Responders in the Grampian region since 2021, and now it will be used by SAS across Scotland.

GoodSAM has been adopted by other ambulance services around the world, including ambulance services in the UK and in Australia.  There are currently 1,500,000 users worldwide and since the app was launched there have been over 3,000,000 alerts globally.

The use of the GoodSAM app is supported by The Save a Life for Scotland campaign, to help everyone living in Scotland learn how they can help save a life when someone suffers an out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). They can do this by recognising there is a problem, calling 999 and starting CPR with the support of an ambulance service call handler.

Programme Lead for Out-of-Hospital-Cardiac Arrest, Steven Short, who is leading the campaign, says: “With this roll-out of the GoodSAM app, anyone who has CPR knowledge can be a life-saver. When someone is in cardiac-arrest, immediate bystander action can mean the difference between life and death.

“By alerting those who are closest, they can begin CPR while waiting for help from the ambulance service to arrive. This may mean that people from all walks of life will turn up to an incident, and with their knowledge, they can begin the CPR, vital in keeping someone alive until help arrives.”

The GoodSAM app can be downloaded from a smartphone app store by anyone with CPR knowledge, and once registered and validated, the user will be sent alert if there has been a 999 call to a cardiac arrest within 1000 metres.

Ian Hendry is a SAS Wildcat Cardiac Responder, who uses the GoodSAM app to respond to emergency calls across North East Scotland.

Ian says: “Providing the immediate care required for patients is vital should an out-of-hospital-cardiac arrest occur, and being able to arrive quickly and commence CPR is essential. Upon arrival, the technicians and paramedics will assume the lead, and we’ll focus on supporting the family or loved ones, and 2that aspect is also very rewarding.

“As a responder, it can at times be challenging depending on the situation we are faced with but we receive regular training, have the opportunity to meet other responders where we can share different scenarios and experiences, and we also have great support from the team at the Scottish Ambulance Service.

“It is humbling to witness the amazing care the SAS staff deliver to patients on a daily basis and to be able to support them in a small way is very rewarding.”

Lisa MacInnes, Director of the Save a Life for Scotland campaign said: “Our aim is to equip everyone living in Scotland with CPR and skills and help them be CPR ready, because when someone has a cardiac arrest, every second counts.

“When someone has a cardiac arrest, they need urgent help and with the launch of the GoodSAM app in Scotland, you could be that help.

“We’re asking anyone in Scotland who knows CPR to sign-up and make themselves available to this life saving service. When the minutes are so important you could be the difference in helping a stranger in need who’s just around the corner or a neighbour who needs your help.”

To find out more about the GoodSAM app rollout, refresh your CPR skill and sign up to the app, please visit the Save a Life for Scotland GoodSAM pages at savealife.scot/goodsam

Simple first aid tips that could save a life

A 2021 study conducted by The British Heart Foundation revealed that 38% of people in the UK have never undertaken CPR training. For every minute that a person in cardiac arrest doesn’t receive CPR and defibrillation, their chance of survival drops by 10%.

With this in mind, education experts at Skillstg.com have outlined the basic first aid a person should know in case of an emergency. The study details how to differentiate between a heart attack and cardiac arrest, perform CPR, use a defibrillator, and put someone in the recovery position. Acting quickly and confidently using this simple guide could save a stranger or a loved one’s life.

What is CPR?

CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) is a procedure in which a person’s chest is pressed rhythmically to artificially maintain a liveable heart rate and blood circulation during cardiac arrest.

What is the difference between cardiac arrest and a heart attack?

It is important to note that cardiac arrest and a heart attack differ. A heart attack is a condition where the heart muscle suddenly becomes starved of oxygen and nutrients due to a blockage in one of the coronary arteries. A person having a heart attack may feel pain, pressure and burning in their chest and is usually conscious at the time. In this case, you should immediately call 999 and sit the person down to rest while you wait for an ambulance.

A cardiac arrest is when a person’s heart stops pumping blood around the body, usually due to a heart attack. The brain is starved of oxygen, and the person becomes unconscious. In this instance, you should call 999 immediately and perform CPR to keep the person alive whilst waiting for an ambulance. If the heart cannot pump itself, you must assist.

How to spot symptoms of cardiac arrest?

First of all, it is important to be able to identify when someone is in cardiac arrest. If any of the below symptoms are present, then you should immediately begin to perform CPR:

  • The person is unconscious or not responding
  • The skin is pale, cool, and clammy
  • They are not breathing, or breathing appears to be abnormal, high-pitched or gasping
  • The body is limp and unresponsive
  • Lips and fingernails appear blue-ish

How to perform CPR on an adult

  1. If you spot an unconscious person who appears not to be breathing properly, or at all, shake them at the shoulders and ask if they are okay. Call 999 and immediately start performing CPR. If someone else is nearby, shout for them to find a public access defibrillator (PAD). Put your phone on loudspeaker as soon as you have dialled 999, this will allow you to perform CPR whilst asking for help. Do not leave the patient to look for a defibrillator; the ambulance will bring one when they arrive.
  1. Give chest compressions
  • Kneel next to the person
  • Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest. Place your other hand on the top of the first. Interlock your fingers.
  • Keeping your arms straight, use the heel of your hand to push down on the breastbone firmly and smoothly so that the chest pushes down 5-6cm, and release to allow the chest to rise back up.
  • Do this at a rate of 100-120 chest compressions per minute. The rhythm of ‘Staying Alive’ by the Bee Gees is the perfect beat to push to.
  1. Keep performing CPR until help arrives
  • You must keep going until the ambulance and paramedics arrive to take over, or until the person begins to breath normally and demonstrates signs of life. If the patient opens their eyes, starts coughing, speaking, and breathing normally, you can stop.
  • If there is no sign of improvement to the person’s condition, and you are becoming tired, try and shout for someone nearby to help and take turns with the CPR. If there is a helper, you can swap every one-to-two minutes with minimal disruption to chest compressions.
  1. Use a defibrillator
  • If a helper returns with a defibrillator, request that it be switched on while you continue to perform CPR. The helper must remove or cut away clothing so that the bare chest is accessible. Any perspiration should also be wiped away. A voice will begin giving instructions from the defibrillator.
  • To apply the pads, first remove the backing paper. In the spaces indicated, place the pads in the appropriate places. The first pad should be placed on top of the person’s collarbone to the right. The second pad should be placed on the top of the person’s armpit to the left.
  • The defibrillator will examine the heart’s rhythm. Stop CPR and make sure no one else is handling the patient. It will then provide a series of visual and verbal indicators that must be followed.
  • If a shock is required, tell any other people around you to stand back. The defibrillator will tell you when it is time to press the shock button. You may then be advised to carry on with CPR if no further shocks are required.
  1. Recovery position – if they become responsive
  • Put the person in the recovery position if they begin to open their eyes, cough, talk and begin breathing normally. The recovery position ensures that the airways are kept clear and open; it also ensures fluids and vomit won’t cause them to choke.
  • Extend the nearest arm to you out at a right angle to the person’s body with the palm facing upwards.
  • Take the other arm and fold it so that the back of their hand rests on their cheek. Hold this hand while carefully rolling the person onto their side. The extended arm will ensure you don’t roll too far, and the bent arm will be supporting the head.
  • Bend their top leg so that their knee is at a right angle.
  • Open the airway by tilting their head gently back and lifting their chin. At this point, you can check that nothing is blocking their airway.
  • Stay with the person until help arrives

A representative from Skillstg.com commented on the study: “Currently, nine in ten people with cardiac arrest outside the hospital die.

“CPR is an essential skill that can improve these odds by saving lives. If CPR is performed in the first few minutes of someone going into cardiac arrest, the person’s chance of survival is doubled.”

Skills Training Group are the UK’s leading first aid training, electrical and heating courses for adults, contractors & companies alike.

Save A Life for Scotland: Ensuring more people can use defibrillators and CPR to save lives

With increased awareness over the weekend on how CPR and defibrillators can save lives, the Scottish Ambulance Service is working with Save a Life for Scotland (SALFS) to ensure more people know what to do when they witness someone suffering a cardiac arrest.

There are crucial elements required to save a life when someone is in cardiac arrest, and which we refer to as the ‘Chain of Survival’. The first of these steps is to ensure that people can identify when a cardiac arrest is happening, and there is a defibrillator in the community.

This is followed by early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation to restart the heart; timely hospital care, and appropriate aftercare. 

Pauline Howie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, says: “Working with the Save a Life for Scotland (SALFS) campaign and other partners, we want to increase the survivability rates of those who go into cardiac arrest in Scotland.

“Cardiac arrest can affect anyone, of any age at any time or place. It’s vital that we can encourage people to feel more comfortable in calling 999 and to deliver bystander CPR and defibrillation if witnessing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. 

“Over the last five years, the Save a Life for Scotland (SALFS) partnership has equipped over 640,000 people with CPR skills, and the survival rate after an out of hospital cardiac arrest has doubled to one in ten people.

“This is really significant progress, but there are even higher rates of survival achievable that we are working towards with the refreshed Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy. The Scottish Ambulance Service will also be working with schools so that we can equip all school children with the skills to be able to perform CPR.” 

Dr Gareth Clegg, University of Edinburgh, Chair of the Delivery Group for Scotland’s Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy says: “After a cardiac arrest every second counts. Calling 999 for help, starting chest compression CPR and using a defibrillator as soon as possible is the way to save lives.

“Scotland’s national plan to increase survival after cardiac arrest aims to double the number of cases where a defib is applied by the public – even before an ambulance arrives at the scene. Studies show that using a defibrillator within three minutes of collapse, along with starting CPR, can greatly increase chances of survival.”

Lisa MacInnes, Director of Save a life for Scotland, says: “Every year around 3,500 people in Scotland of all ages suffer a cardiac arrest at home or within the community.

“Save a Life for Scotland is a campaign which aims to increase the chance of survival by encouraging more people to learn about CPR and defibrillators. The simple message of the campaign is that everybody in Scotland has got the power to save lives in their own hands.”

Information on defibrillators: 

There are around 4000 public-access defibrillators registered in Scotland and we have a system where people can add their own defibrillators to our database. You can find their locations here: Registering your Automated External Defibrillator (scottishambulance.com)

Defibrillators are designed to be used by members of the public who have not received any training. They provide audible instructions and sometimes visual prompts on a screen, and because they will not allow a shock to be given unless it is needed, it is extremely unlikely that it will do any harm to the person who has collapsed.

Information on identifying cardiac arrests:

To help people identify when someone is suffering a cardiac arrest, it’s important to recognise the difference between a cardiac arrest and a heart attack. A cardiac arrest occurs when someone’s heart stops beating. Because there is no blood flow to the brain, they will suddenly lose consciousness and will stop breathing or stop breathing normally.  

A heart attack is where there is a sudden interruption to the blood supply to part of the heart muscle. It is likely to cause chest pain and without treatment will result in permanent damage to the heart.

The heart is still sending blood around the body and the person remains conscious and is still breathing. Both are medical emergencies, and you should call 999, but a cardiac arrest is much more serious.

To Find out more about CPR and defibrillators, visit the Scottish Ambulance Service website – Cardiac Arrest (scottishambulance.com) 

Visit savealife.scot to learn more about what organisations are doing across Scotland to save more lives.