BHF comment
Confusion over giving CPR during pandemic could cause delay in lifesaving action
New research has shown that a third of UK adults don’t know if they should be giving CPR during the Covid-19 pandemic, or if it should only be carried out by professionals in PPE.
The research comes as leading charities, The Resuscitation Council UK, St John’s Ambulance, The British Red Cross and regional ambulance services, alongside the British Heart Foundation, are urging people to do hands only CPR for Restart a Heart Day this year.
The charities are concerned that people could be waiting for professionals to perform CPR rather than taking immediate action themselves, putting thousands of lives at risk.
The survival rate for somebody having a cardiac arrest out of hospital in the UK is currently just one in 10, and every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chances of survival by 10%. However, CPR can more than double the chances of survival in some instances.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive, said: “Every second counts when someone has a cardiac arrest, and doing something is always better than doing nothing.
“Learning CPR and having the confidence to perform it is as important as it has ever been. There are more than 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests that happen each year, and these will not stop as a result of the pandemic.
“Even in these challenging times we can still build a nation of lifesavers, and while this Restart a Heart Day will be like no other before it, we urge everybody to spend just 30 minutes of their time to learn this vital skill.”
Updated guidance
Due to the ongoing pandemic, CPR guidelines have been updated to reduce the chances of transmission.
Guidance issued early in the pandemic by the Resuscitation Council sets out how to do CPR with reduced risk to the bystander and without negatively impacting the collapsed person’s chances of survival.
The key changes are loosely laying a face covering, such as a towel or piece of clothing over the mouth and nose of the person who has collapsed and to do hands-only CPR (no mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths).
The steps you should take if you witness a cardiac arrest during the pandemic are as follows:
1) If you see someone has collapsed and is not breathing or not breathing normally, do not put your face next to theirs when checking for breathing. Instead, check for signs of breathing by looking to see if their chest is moving.
2) Shout for help and call 999.
3) Lay a face covering, such as a towel or piece of clothing over the mouth and nose of the person who has collapsed (i.e. do not seal the mouth and nose).
4) Do not do mouth to mouth rescue breaths.
5) Start chest compressions by pressing hard on the chest two times per second – you can keep your time by following the beat of ‘Stayin’ Alive’ or ‘Baby Shark’.
6) Ask someone to get a public access defibrillator if one is available while you give CPR.
Dr Andrew Lockey, consultant in emergency medicine and co-lead for World Restart a Heart Day, Resuscitation Council UK said: “Now, more than ever before, friends and family are dying unnecessarily from sudden cardiac arrest.
“Worries about Covid-19 should not deter anyone from doing the best thing in an emergency.
“The principle message from Restart a Heart Day is that you can still save a life, whilst keeping yourself safe.