The challenge with a civilian performing CPR in a prehospital cardiac arrest is that it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing (if that) and that it’s damn near impossible for anyone to be good at it. That said, even imperfect compressions can make a monumental difference once paramedics/EMTs arrive. Prolonged downtime without any compressions takes what little chance that patient has and sends it packing.
Which is why the availability and use of AEDs is so important. With the step-by-step audio guidance that most new AEDs provide to the user, it is possible for anyone to be good at it. And it improves the chances of survival in comparison with CPR alone. However, in most of the cases I mentioned above, citizen CPR was done well enough until an AED arrived.
The challenge with a civilian performing CPR in a prehospital cardiac arrest is that it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing (if that) and that it’s damn near impossible for anyone to be good at it. That said, even imperfect compressions can make a monumental difference once paramedics/EMTs arrive. Prolonged downtime without any compressions takes what little chance that patient has and sends it packing.
Which is why the availability and use of AEDs is so important. With the step-by-step audio guidance that most new AEDs provide to the user, it is possible for anyone to be good at it. And it improves the chances of survival in comparison with CPR alone. However, in most of the cases I mentioned above, citizen CPR was done well enough until an AED arrived.