CPR/AED Awareness: Every Second Counts

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The American Red Cross emphasises that in cardiac arrest, every second counts, and that people may save lives by understanding how to give CPR and utilise an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Cardiac arrest happens when the heart suddenly stops beating or beats inefficiently, preventing blood from reaching the brain and other important organs. More than 350,000 individuals die from cardiac arrest in the United States each year, with only 11% surviving. Survival rates decrease by 10% for every minute without prompt CPR and use of an AED..

If you see someone collapse without warning, take immediate action with these three steps:

  1. Call 911.
  2. Start CPR
  3. Use an AED
Eriksen being worked on by emergency medical workers after collapsing on Saturday. CPR had to be administered. — Source The Star

The startling picture of Danish footballer Christian Eriksen collapsing on the field during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 play against Finland on Saturday, 12th June is a clear reminder that anyone, including a professional athlete, can have a cardiac attack.

The events playing out on live television were a textbook example of how a medical emergency should be handled. The referee and the players around him were instantly alerted to the emergency. The pitchside medical staff arrived as soon as they were summoned. The first rule of first aid treatment is to recognise an emergency situation and call for assistance.

He received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as well as a single defibrillation using an automated external defibrillator (AED). This suggests that someone compressed his chest wall to keep his blood moving and that an electrical shock was provided to restart his heart.

Christian Eriksen has been discharged from hospital after undergoing a “successful operation,” the Danish Football Association confirmed on Friday, June 18. The decision was then made to fit the 29-year-old with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). This shows that, prompt action from the medical emergency staff by doing CPR and AED is important to save life.

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