Almost a doubling has occurred in the number of people who receive life-saving help while waiting for an ambulance in connection with cardiac arrest. It has gone from 40 percent at the turn of the millennium to almost 70 percent in 2017, according to the Karolinska Institutet.
Ronny Friberg, head of operations at the ambulance in Umeå, is pleased with the figures.
- It is very important that you do something. We are completely dependent on the public when it comes to cardiac arrest because we work against time, says Ronny Friberg.
The reason for the sharp increase is linking researchers to changing guidelines for cardiovascular rescue. Today, it is sufficient to perform simplified cardiovascular rescue, ie only chest compressions, for those who do not have CPR training.
"Increases probability by one hundred percent"According to the Karolinska Institute, simplified CPR has increased six-fold since the turn of the millennium. And Ronny Friberg at the ambulance in Umeå says that simplified cardiac resuscitation, ie only chest compressions, is good much better than nothing at all.
- It increases the likelihood of being able to help the person with a hundred percent. After three or four minutes without action, so many brain cells have died that you can't do it. If someone helps, you can extend the time considerably.
In the six northernmost counties, a clear majority of all cardiovascular rescues are performed while waiting for ambulance by non-professionals, so-called "laymen". According to figures from the Swedish Cardiac Rescue Register, the public accounted for 246 interventions of 283 in 2017.
- Hurry up if you see someone collapse. Check to see if the person is awake or unconscious and start cardiac rescue, says Ronny Friberg.