Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen's recent collapse on field during a Euro 2020 game has once again shone light on the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR as we all know it. Importance of learning CPR is rarely ever overstated. We can't always simply rely on medical experts or emergency responders to master CPR techniques.
There are several good reasons why you should learn CPR. You never know who would need it.
CPR is designed to keep oxygenated blood flowing to the heart and brain when sudden cardiac arrest occurs. Because the heart can't pump blood, tissue and organ death can occur in literal minutes. If you are thinking to yourself when you'll ever be required to act in such an emergency, cardiac arrest can occur at any time. It is the number one killer worldwide, and claims more lives than cancer, auto accidents, HIV and firearms.
The mortality rate among cardiac arrest victims is around 90 per cent. If the majority of us train in CPR procedures and are capable of responding to out-of-hospital emergencies, the chances of cardiac arrest victims surviving will grow greatly.
CPR keeps blood flowing to vital organs while you await the arrival of emergency services. A meta-analysis of 79 studies found that bystander CPR increases a victim's odds of survival by four times. The standard survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is only about 10 per cent, however, the survival rate among sufferers receiving bystander CPR is nearly 45 per cent.
CPR improves the effectiveness of defibrillation, and the combination of these two practices can improve survival rates by an additional 9 per cent. While an automated external defibrillator (AED) works to restore a normal heart rhythm, the CPR works as a stopgap to keep the blood flowing and the organs nourished.
Learning CPR is very easy and takes little time. However, to the right person, it will make all the difference in the world.
