For Restart a Heart Day on 16 October, we spoke to Paramedic Clinical Lead Michael Bradfield about the importance of CPR training and the common myths and misconceptions of performing CPR.
What’s the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest?
Heart attack and cardiac arrest are not the same thing, although TV dramas often confuse the two. They are both medical emergencies and you should call 999 for both.
A heart attack is a circulation problem, it occurs when an artery supplying blood to the heart muscle gets blocked. This starves part of the heart muscle of oxygen and causes chest pain or discomfort. A person having a heart attack is usually still conscious and breathing. If a heart attack isn’t treated, it can lead to a collapse and cardiac arrest.
A cardiac arrest occurs when your heart stops pumping blood around your body. This may be following a heart attack or may occur for other reasons. It can happen without warning, causing a sudden collapse and no or ineffective breathing. Without CPR and emergency help, the person will die within minutes.
“I don’t have time” or “I cannot afford to learn CPR”.
Time is precious and budgets are tight at the moment. However, CPR can be learned in as little as 15 minutes and free of charge. While attending an accredited CPR course is a great way to learn and practice the skills, this is not the only way.
This coming Restart a Heart Day, why not commit to taking 15 mins out of your day to learn this important life-saving skill? You will learn how to recognise cardiac arrest, do chest compressions and use a defibrillator. This may one day make a huge difference to a friend, colleague or someone you have never met whose life and those of their families you could change.
I have attended cardiac arrests with relatives agonising over whether they could have done more when their loved ones collapsed – please don’t put yourself in that position.
I am not sure when or how to do CPR, I don’t want to cause harm.
The benefit of CPR in cardiac arrest completely outweighs any risks of it being done imperfectly. Even if you are not sure if your technique is exactly right, it is far better to attempt it than do nothing.
As a paramedic, I sometimes see people who are understandably wary of causing harm or “getting it wrong”. Nobody from the ambulance service or anyone else would criticise you for trying your best. That is far better than doing nothing.
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are increasingly available in the community and designed to be used by anyone without specialist training. You do not need any training to use one and you will not cause harm by putting one on someone who is not in cardiac arrest.
We already have first aiders where I work, I don’t need to learn CPR.
Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere.
Survival is significantly increased by effective early CPR and access to a defibrillator. There are many amazing stories of survival because someone CPR-trained was in the right place at the right time and decided to act.
As a paramedic, when we arrive to see no CPR is happening for a person in cardiac arrest it is a sad moment, as we know this has already significantly reduced the chance of survival, however hard we work.
Can’t I just call 999 and wait for an ambulance to arrive?
Ambulance crews cannot arrive instantly, and all services are under significant pressure at the moment. Cardiac arrest calls are prioritised as the most urgent emergency call, but even if the ambulance is in the next street, there is still some delay and every minute counts.
The CPR you can give is performed in exactly the same as that of any healthcare professional and has the same value. You will see us doing exactly what you were doing before.
Of all the advanced treatments we can provide, CPR and defibrillation are the two most important ones that research shows contribute to survival.
If I have a cardiac arrest, I don’t care who does CPR on me. But I would want someone to start right away rather than wait for a healthcare professional.
What do I do if I find someone in cardiac arrest? What if I am alone?
If you are alone, try to shout for help if there are people immediately nearby. But do not delay calling 999 and immediately start chest compressions. The 999 emergency call taker will help you with instructions – they do an amazing job and are used to dealing with all kinds of stressful situations over the phone.
- Call 999, ask for the ambulance service. Put the phone on speaker if possible.
- Start CPR. If you are not sure what to do, you will get help on the phone.
- If you have more help arrive, find and use a defibrillator if there is one available.
- If someone else is able to do CPR, swap every 2 mins to avoid getting tired.
- If you are alone, keep going as best you can until help arrives or you are too exhausted to continue.
If you feel like you are not sure what you are doing, that is normal. Try your best, it is always better to do what you can than do nothing. Ambulance crews love seeing CPR happening when they arrive, it makes our job much easier and without a doubt increases the chance of survival.
You can access the free British Heart Foundation online course ‘Revivr’ to learn CPR in 15 minutes.
