Run for help quickly then get back to the patient. You've got four minutes to save their brain.
Heartstart Scotland is the biggest epidemiological study of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the world. Across the whole cohort of people found in VF, 10% survived to discharge from hospital. In the group who arrested in the presence of the ambulance crew, 39% survived. That rose to 43% in the group who got their first shock within 4 minutes of arrest.
CPR buys time. Defibrillation saves lives. But, if you don't have a defibrillator, get the ambulance on the way and start CPR. That way, there's a much better chance that the paramedics will have a viable patient to work on.
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