Rising bystander CPR cases welcomed by CUH professor

A CUH Professor has welcomed a HSE report which shows an increase in CPR performed by bystanders over the last decade.

Bystander CPR in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Ireland increased by 25% between 2012 and 2023 according to the 2023 annual report of the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Register (OHCAR) published by the HSE National Ambulance Service.

Professor Conor Deasy, chair of the OHCAR, clinical director of emergency and acute care at Cork University Hospital (CUH) said, “It’s great to see that bystander CPR in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in this country increased by 25% between 2012 and 2023.

“In line with previous years, surviving patients were more likely to be younger and have been witnessed to collapse in a public urban location.

“Knowing what to do; ring 999/112, put your phone on a speaker while speaking to the 999 call-taker and start chest compressions.

“Members of the public defibrillated 304 patients, of whom 89 survived (29%).

“This achievement emphasises the importance of community first responders and public access defibrillators in saving lives.” #

The report further shows that of the 2,857 patients, 66% were male and the median age was 68 years, with women who suffered a cardiac arrest older by six years on average than men.

The majority, or 68% of all cardiac arrests, happened in the home, and of the 2,857 people who suffered an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest where resuscitation was attempted, 240 individuals or 8.4% survived to leave hospital alive, according to the report.

This is a 1% rise in survival rates, which translates into an extra 34 lives saved.