Importance of CPR highlighted after footballer suffers cardiac arrest during match
St John's Ambulance Guernsey and Jersey are highlighting the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training following Danish footballer Christian Eriksen collapsing during a European football match over the weekend.
St John's believe everyone should know what to do when someone collapses and how to do CPR.
Courses are available in Jersey and Guernsey. Defibrillators are available across both islands.
There is at least 280 defibrillators in Jersey and at least 104 defibrillators in Guernsey.
What is a cardiac arrest?
A cardiac arrest is caused by an electrical problem with the heart. As a result the heart does not have the capability to pump blood around the body and to the brain.
It causes a person to stop breathing and fall unconscious. CPR should only be administered when the person is either unconscious and not breathing or unconscious and not breathing correctly.
How do you administer CPR?
As a result of Covid-19 there have been several changes to the way CPR is administered to a patient. There are six simple stages to follow:
Stage one: Shake and Shout to see if the patient is responsive and if not shout for help
Stage two: Call 999 and ask somebody for a public access defibrillator (PAD)
Stage three: Cover the patients mouth and nose with a cloth to protect yourself from the risk of infection
Stage four: Give chest compressions by kneeling next to the person and putting the heel of your hand on the patients chest. Place the other hand on top and interlock the fingers. Push down 5-6cm smoothly with straight arms on the breast bone at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute
Stage five: Keep going until a professional arrives or the person shows signs of regaining consciousness. If you get tired, instruct them to continue
Stage six: After a ambulance team has taken over make sure to thoroughly wash your hands
Fact file on survival rates:
More information on this can be found here.