Cardiac arrests

Unlike a heart attack – where one of the coronary arteries becomes blocked, robbing the heart muscle of its vital blood supply – a cardiac arrest is caused by an electrical problem in the heart which causes it to stop pumping blood around the body and to the brain.

The victim loses consciousness and stops breathing. Without CPR, they will die within minutes. CPR should only be used if someone is either unconscious and not breathing, or unconscious and breathing abnormally.

Around 3,500 people are treated annually by the Scottish Ambulance Service for cardiac arrest, but only one in 13 survive. Delays to treatment is a crucial factor – every minute that passes before CPR is performed reduces the chances of survival by 10 per cent.