Miracles can still happen

All of the recent publicity surrounding Fabrice Muamba, the young footballer, who suffered a cardiac arrest during a televised football match has really brought the issue of cardiac arrest to the forefront of many people’s minds. 

 

Muamba's recovery has amazed the football community as much as it has medical experts. His heart stopped for a staggering 78 minutes, saved by the immediate CPR and AED given by paramedics and doctors to continue his circulation which minimised damage to his brain. Sadly the same can’t be said for the young 15 year old Luke Chapman who collapsed on Tuesday afternoon during a school rugby match in Worchester and died.

 

The Sun launched its love heart campaign, to get basic life-saving skills taught in schools across the UK. Andy Murray joins a host of stars on the campaign backed by The British Heart Foundation. The 'Love Heart' campaign reinforces the message following the recent advert featuring Vinnie Jones.

However, 'Hard and Fast', the hands only method is not the most comprehensive way to perform CPR.  The message in the video and The Sun is intended is to give someone who has had no formal training in first aid the confidence to 'step up and have a go' should they be faced with a person suffering a cardiac arrest.

The BHF have stated in their recent publicity material that “CPR with rescue breaths should remain the gold standard but if someone is untrained, or unsure about how to give rescue breaths and chest compressions, Hands-only CPR is still more likely to increase a casualty’s chance of survival”. 

The fact that Fabrice Muamba survived his cardiac arrest is quite simply due to the fact that there were fully trained medical staff on hand who were immediately able to give rescue breaths and compressions and there was a defibrillator available that was used at the earliest opportunity.  This sequence of life saving first aid was continued by the ambulance crew until advanced medical care was provided in hospital.

It is extremely unlikely that there would have been the same outcome had compression only CPR been used.

So...just to be absolutely clear, compression only CPR is only being promoted as a suitable method for untrained members of the public. 

Anyone who has received formal first aid training will still be expected to carry out full CPR, which includes Rescue Breaths, because this is the best way of increasing the casualty’s chance of survival.

Correctly performed CPR (rescue breaths and compressions) is lifesaving and is thought to triple survival rates.

So…if you haven’t had any first aid training and you want to learn how to increase someone’s chance of survival in the event of a cardiac arrest – get yourself booked on to a training course. Phone 01908 612413 to find out more details.