The Golden 10

Recently witnessed around the world, soccer player Christian Eriksen’s collapse and subsequent  resuscitation from sudden cardiac arrest provided a real time, real world example of how the skills taught in bystander CPR can make the difference between life and death. Within seconds of collapse Denmark team captain Simon Kjaer was performing chest compressions while referee Anthony Taylor was summoning medics. As summarized by Dr. Morton Bosen - Denmark’s team physician – “...The time from when it happens to when he receives help is the critical factor, and that time was short. It was decisive.” 

Research has shown that without quality CPR the likelihood of survival from cardiac arrest decreases by 10% per minute. This can be thought of as “the golden 10”- a 10-minute window of  opportunity to best improve a victim’s chance of a successful resuscitation. Because cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, at any time, the ability of a bystander to immediately recognize the situation, initiate emergency response activation, AED retrieval and delivery of quality chest compressions becomes a bridge to survival during this perilous time. These actions are the first  links in what is referred to as the “chain of survival”, without which the benefit of subsequent interventions, no matter how medically complex, become more futile.  

In addition, the value of a bystander’s response is magnified as more and more individuals in a  community become trained, thereby improving the response speed as everyone is “on the same  page”. 

There are a variety of layperson training opportunities available. It is important to choose one which incorporates hands on guided chest compression training, without which it is difficult to properly learn this critical motor skill. Many organizations such as the American Heart  Association and the Red Cross offer courses that blend online learning followed by some form of  instructor interactive chest compression skills training. The innovative smartphone app, SMART Certification, from ResusciTech, is an alternative. Using only a smartphone and a cushion, an  individual can learn all the steps for CPR, AED and first aid response as well as hands on chest  compression skills training entirely remotely, at their own pace and place in as little as 90  minutes. 

In this world of high tech, costly medical interventions, the ability to make a difference using  only one’s mind and hands offers infinite value – only 90 minutes to learn how to save a life.

Sources

Abella, Benjamin S. The importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality, Current Opinion  in Critical Care: June 2013 - Volume 19 - Issue 3 - p 175-180 

doi: 10.1097/MCC.0b013e328360ac76 

Cheng, A., Magid, D. J., Auerbach, M., Bhanji, F., Bigham, B. L., Blewer, A. L., Dainty, K. N.,  Diederich, E., Lin, Y., Leary, M., Mahgoub, M., Mancini, M. E., Navarro, K., & Donoghue, A.  (2020). Part 6: Resuscitation Education Science: 2020 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. Circulation,  142(16_suppl_2), S551–S579. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.