Without immediate CPR the chances of a person surviving a heart attack decreases by 10 per cent a minute

Tuesday 17 April 2018

Without immediate CPR the chances of a person surviving a heart attack decreases by 10 per cent a minute.

This is one of the stark facts highlighted by the Irish Heart Foundation in the run up to its annual fundraiser the Happy Hearts Appeal which takes place on Friday 11th May.

Heart attacks claim 5,000 lives a year in Ireland and the funds raised by the 2018 Happy Hearts Appeal will go towards the Irish Heart Foundation’s CPR training programme which trains members of the public in this life saving skill.

According to the Irish Heart Foundation’s resuscitation expert, Brigid Sinnott, when a person suffers a cardiac arrest and they don’t receive prompt CPR, their chance of survival decreases by 10 per cent for every minute that nothing is done.

“If you are a bystander when this happens and are willing to do something you could make a difference as early CPR can double if not triple their chance of survival. Learning CPR in a course can give confidence in knowing what to do when faced with a collapse and we know that anyone who has done a CPR course at any stage in their life is 10 times more likely to respond and assist in such an emergency.”

This year the Irish Heart Foundation is hoping to raise €350,000 through its Happy Hearts Appeal and is looking for volunteers to help sell pins on the day.

Kate O Reilly, National Campaigns Manager with the Irish Heart Foundation, said these funds would ensure that the Foundation could continue to provide essential CPR training to every community in Ireland.

“If a loved one or someone you know goes into a sudden cardiac arrest, you are their main chance of survival. Not a passer-by. You and your hands. CPR saves lives and so do volunteers. Now more than ever, we need more volunteers for our Happy Hearts Appeal, so that we can raise funds for programmes like our vital CPR training. Join us and volunteer on May 11th to keep more hearts beating, because we desperately need more lifesavers.”