Only one in five people would perform a life-saving resuscitation

Ignorance and uncertainty keep many people from reviving

Many adults are unable to initiate the important measures of immediate resuscitation if a person near them collapses unconscious. Reasons for the lack of help are often ignorance or uncertainty. It is estimated that only one in five adults will help in such a situation. Physicians are now calling for more young people to be given life-saving resuscitation.

The researchers from the British Heart Foundation and Warwick Medical School found in their study that only about one in five adults in the UK acted properly and helped when a person in the area collapsed, requiring an immediate resuscitation. The doctors published a press release on the results of their study.

Resuscitation measures are particularly important when, for example, a person with a cardiac arrest breaks down. Unfortunately, most people are unable to perform such a life-saving resuscitation. (Image: charnsitr - fotolia)

150,000 young people are learning reanimation measures this year alone

Alone this year, more than 150,000 young people are being trained at major events across the UK to initiate a resuscitation or resuscitation. For some time, leading organizations have been calling for all young people to be trained to carry out such a life-saving resuscitation.

Unfortunately, a life-threatening cardiac arrest often occurs

Warwick Medical School researchers conducted a survey of 2,000 people across the country to find out how likely people would experience life-threatening cardiac arrest. It quickly became clear that a large number of people in life suffered a life-threatening cardiac arrest. The researchers also found that if people had undergone resuscitation training, they would be able to resuscitate nearly three times more often.

Survival rates for a cardiac arrest outside a hospital are very low

This underlines the importance of resuscitation measures to improve survival rates. Survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are worryingly low in the UK. Only a maximum of one in ten affected survives such an incident.

Every person should learn in his life measures for resuscitation

A survey by the British Heart Foundation also found that an overwhelming 89 percent of respondents felt that resuscitation measures should be taught in all UK schools. If more people can resuscitate, it will save thousands of lives each year. The same survey also found that around 40 percent of respondents are clearly reluctant to carry out resuscitation because they lack the skills and knowledge to revive. "Our research shows how important it is for all people to learn resuscitation measures," said Professor Gavin Perkins of the University of Warwick. One in five people will eventually have the opportunity to save a life if they are able to resuscitate, the expert adds.

In a cardiac arrest counts every second

Resuscitation is an important step to survival after a cardiac arrest. The probability of survival is almost zero if people collapse lifeless and do not receive resuscitation until an emergency service arrives, say the scientists. Thousands of deaths could be prevented if more people learned to revive them. In such moments, just count every second. People need to learn the life-saving skills in order to gain enough self-confidence for necessary resuscitation when a person with a cardiac arrest breaks down in their vicinity.

The necessary skills are easy to learn

If young people learn life-saving measures, they will become the lifesavers of tomorrow, the medical profession explains. Today, more than 150,000 young people receive both in-person training and on-line tuition through our free Lifesaver app, says Federico Moscogiuri, Chief Executive Officer of the Resuscitation Council (UK). Individual effort and nationally coordinated activities will lead to a better chance of surviving victims of cardiac arrest, the expert speculates. Everyone can become a lifesaver, the necessary skills are easy to learn. Most heart failure occurs in the home and therefore it is particularly important that people in the home environment are able to save lives by resuscitating them. (As)