Make time to see film
Will CPR alone bring the person back to life?
Unfortunately not, that only happens in the movies. CPR is about keeping blood flowing round the body as a result of pushing down on the centre of the chest.This is all about buying time until the ambulance crew arrive to takeover.
If you do CPR then you can at least double the chances of someone surviving. Will I make thing worse if my CPR is not perfect?
No. The person is already very unwell and needs CPR. Any CPR is better than no CPR. Do you need to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?
Pressing on the person’s chest and not stopping is the priority until the ambulance crew arrives or until there is a defibrillator available.
Breathing into someones mouth is difficult and takes time. The emergency call handler will tell you how and where to press on their chest and count to keep the blood moving. What is Save a Life for Scotland?
Save a Life for Scotland launched in October 2015 and is a collaboration of emergency services (Scottish Ambulance Service, Scottish Fire and Rescue Services, Medical Defence Services and Police Scotland), third sector organisations (The British Heart Foundation including Heartstart, Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, Royal Life Saving Society Scotland, British Red Cross , St John Scotland and Lucky 2 B Here), community groups, local authorities, academics, industry partners and the Scottish Government.
A movement of people who believe the status quo can’t be allowed to continue, and that together we can do what we haven’t been able to do separately.
Our aim is to change the culture of ‘what’s the point they all die’ or ‘I can’t do anything to help’ to ‘I’ll do it.’ James Cant, director at the British Heart Foundation Scotland, said:
“When someone has a cardiac arrest their chances of survival decrease with every passing minute.
“After even a few minutes, if no-one has attempted CPR it is too late – but you can help.
“It’s vital that people know what to do in the event of a cardiac arrest.
“This includes calling 999 immediately, performing CPR and being able to access and use a defibrillator as soon as possible.
“This new film from the Scottish Government shows us that everyone should give CPR a go if someone nearby goes into cardiac arrest.
“We all have it in us to be life-savers and it could be the life of a loved one that you save, as most cardiac arrests occur in the home.
“I’d urge everyone to spend a couple of minutes watching this film and absorbing its message, as it could make the difference between life or death.”