More than 30,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital each year, with around 80% happening in a place of residence – meaning that the first responder will very likely be a friend or family member. If you have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK, you have a less than 1 in 10 chance of surviving – and only 1 in 20 people that have a cardiac arrest survive to go home from hospital.
An overwhelming majority of Brits (96%) believe that life-saving training should be provided at regular intervals in a person’s life, with a fifth (22%) saying this should be as frequently as a few times each year. Health &=and wellbeing brand, Beurer, who commissioned the research, are looking to take the guesswork out of saving a life and ensure that every person – regardless of CPR training – can feel empowered to do so.
Beurer has just launched LifePad – the first medically certified resuscitation aid that consumers can buy. The research found that 52% of consumers surveyed wouldn’t be confident to perform CPR in an emergency.
Glenn Hoddle, who survived a cardiac arrest in 2018 being saved by an on-set sound engineer, said: “The reason I’m still here is down to CPR. It saved my life and it’s as simple as that. The LifePad is a wonderful invention and it’s important for me to get the message out there.
"It’s vital that it’s available to the masses and affordable. Whether it’s coaches on the side of a pitch, friends playing golf or local shops, everybody should have access to one as it will save countless more lives. I’m living proof of that."
52% (1047 respondents) know someone who has had a heart attack or cardiac arrest, and of these individuals, 33% were present when it happened. A quarter who were present did not feel equipped to help them.
Robert Slade, UK Managing Director at Beurer said: “A cardiac arrest can affect anyone, at any time – usually without warning. When someone has a cardiac arrest, their chances of survival decrease by 10% for every minute that passes without effective CPR and defibrillation.
"Providing first aid can be overwhelming when confronted with an emergency situation, particularly when a loved one is involved. We’re hopeful that consumers will see the benefit of having a LifePad close by – the device guides you step-by-step through the CPR process when an event occurs. By taking the guesswork out, we can save thousands of lives each year."
LifePad retails for £60 and is available at https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1182336.
