Restart a Heart Day is an annual day of action that embodies one of the main things we here at defibshop are all about… teaching CPR.
2018 marks the first global edition of Restart a Heart day and similarly to the previous years, the day aims to teach as many people as possible the vital life-saving skill of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
Last year, the Resuscitation Council partnered with the British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross, St John Ambulance and all UK Ambulance Services to train at least 195,000 people in effective CPR. This year, the benchmark has been set even higher, the aim is to train 200,000 people!
This year, for the first time in Restart a Heart day history, the day’s official name will be World Restart a Heart Day and will be under oversight by ILCOR (International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation). That day will be supported by various resuscitation councils that cover America (North, Central and South), Canada, South Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
This year, defibshop are going one step further on the involvement side of things for Restart a Heart Day. We’re excited to announce that on 16th October, we’ll be spending the day with North West Ambulance Service at Intu Trafford Centre and will be sharing our life-saving skills with the public to help educate people in effective CPR.
For those a bit further South, we’re also be working in conjunction with West Midlands Ambulance Service to help train even more people in the importance of CPR.
As it stands currently, only 22% of people in the UK would feel confident in performing CPR on a stranger.
By helping to raise awareness and sharing our skills, we’re hoping to drastically change that statistic which will help improve statistics that surround sudden cardiac arrest.
CPR is a skill for life that can go as far as to save a life. By spending an hour perfecting your skills and techniques, you could potentially give someone back a lifetime.
Sadly, no one is immune to sudden cardiac arrest and aspects such as your current health condition, age, gender or ethnicity do not factor when it comes to determining the cause of the arrest. So, you can be as fit as fiddle or a couch potato and still sadly be at risk.
If someone around you were to fall victim to sudden cardiac arrest, the only definitive treatment for the patient is effective CPR, performed on a ratio of 30 chest compressions to 2 rescue breaths and defibrillation of the heart from a defibrillator. The shock from the AED will help to restart the heart in a regular rhythm.
Many people are unaware, but when someone suffers a cardiac arrest, their heart doesn’t stop beating, it quivers, meaning that blood cannot be pumped around the body and vital organs, such as the brain, kidneys and liver are deprived of oxygenated blood. When the heart fails to beat in a regular rhythm, it is medically known as an arrhythmia.
The defibrillator’s shock stops the patient, heart, allowing their natural pacemaker to take over and restart the heart in a regular rhythm, while the effective CPR helps ensure that blood is still being pumped around the body and the vital organs are receiving the nutrients required to function.
After spending the day with North West Ambulance Service at intu Trafford Centre, we successfully trained 706 people in effective CPR and how to use a defibrillator, so should someone fall victim to sudden cardiac arrest, these 706 new life-savers can confidently act and deliver the required treatment.
There are many ways you can get involved for Restart a Heart day, the main one is taking the time to learn effective CPR and how your hands can save a life.
Will you be joining in on Restart a Heart day? Will you be coming to see us at one of the venues stated above? Share your plans in the comments section below or head on over to our Twitter page, @defibshop and share your plans there. Don’t forget to use the hashtag, #RestartAHeart.
defibshop are committed to equipping everyone with the skills and knowledge to save a life. Speak to one of our Product Specialists on 0161 776 7422 or fill out our Contact Form.
