Tag: CPR training

Restart a Heart Live smashes GUINNESS WORLD RECORD

5,340 people tuned in to the Restart a Heart Live YouTube livestream on Thursday 10th October, smashing the previous GUINNESS WORLD RECORD – 1,500 – for the most views of a CPR Lesson on YouTube in 24 hours.

Restart a Heart Live aimed to train as many people as possible in lifesaving CPR and was pioneered by Lee Myers, a Paramedic Clinical Team Leader at the Scottish Ambulance Service and co-produced with Save a Life for Scotland and Save a Life Cymru. Lee has undertaken in-person CPR training for schools across the Borders and wanted to find a way to make this training accessible to everyone.

Lee said: “I am incredibly proud of the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD achievement, of the entire team behind this concept, but most importantly all the people that we managed to train yesterday.

“Restart a Heart Live has been a tremendous success, and we are grateful for all the support we’ve received. We hope that through this event it’s given people confidence to perform CPR if they witness an out of hospital cardiac arrest. Even if one person survives from someone attending the event, then it has been successful.”

Lee was joined on the day by his twin brother, Liam Myers, Police Scotland Constable, who helped deliver the CPR training.

Liam said: “I am overwhelmed to have been part of a team that has achieved a GUINNESS WORLD RECORD. I believe it is really important to learn CPR as there is no doubt it saves lives.

“The response from the public has been amazing in term of the numbers taking part in the training sessions. I want to thank everyone who tuned in to learn CPR, every little helps when it comes to saving a life.”

Susan Gardner, National Program Manager of the Save a Life for Scotland campaign said: “Restart a Heart has been an amazing event! Working with our local and national partners from across the UK allowed us to highlight the importance of CPR to people right into their homes, workplaces, and schools.

“We need each other to be ready to do CPR if we should ever have to do it. By starting CPR people in Scotland can double or even triple the chances of someone surviving and play an essential part in bringing someone back home to their loved ones.”

Julie Starling, Save a Life Cymru Clinical Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Programme Manager, said: “We are delighted to be a part of this GUINNESS WORLD RECORD and the Restart a Heart Live event. If one life can be saved through this collaboration – that is a mark of success for us.

“It has been a privilege to work alongside our Scottish colleges and other organisations in Wales on this event. CPR is a life skill, and no one should be frightened to give it a go.”

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.   

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.