If you find that somebody is not breathing, they have had a cardiac arrest. If a defibrillator is used and effective CPR is performed within 3-5 minutes of cardiac arrest, the chance of survival increases from 6% to 74%! Only 22% of people in the UK would be confident in performing CPR on a stranger. This statistic has to change in society as a whole for lives to be saved. Anybody can give them a chance to live.
There is a defibrillator closer to you than you may think. It’s a good idea to find out the closest one to your home, school, place of work, or any place that you go regularly. You will usually find a one at public places, like schools, your local Co-op, leisure centres and sports stadiums. There are apps like GoodSAM Responder and Staying Alive which you can use to help you.
Most importantly, anyone can do CPR and use a defibrillator. There is no requirement to be medically trained. Any member of the public could use a defibrillator to deliver a potentially life-saving shock to a patient. The defibrillator itself will guide you.
