Why CPR Training Matters on a Global Scale

This World Health Day, let us all make an effort to bridge the gap in emergency response training and increase chances of sudden cardiac arrest survival. Chances of survival can be doubled or tripled when CPR is performed immediately after a cardiac emergency.

Cardiac emergencies can happen to anyone anywhere, so we advocate for Global access to lifesaving devices and education, like Automated External Defibrillator (AEDs) and CPR. 

In this article, we help you learn the key differences between cardiac arrest and heart attack, how stress can affect the health of your heart, and why CPR training and public-access AEDs are so vital in saving lives.

CPR Training Class with Brayden CPR Manikin

What is the difference between Cardiac Arrest and a Heart Attack?

As a bystander, you should know the distinction between heart attack and cardiac arrest so that you can react appropriately in the event of a medical emergency.

What is a heart attack? 

A heart attack is when blood to the heart becomes interrupted, but the heart keeps beating.

What is a cardiac arrest?

A cardiac arrest is when the heart simply stops beating. When this happens, the patient will need to be given immediate CPR and defibrillation.

An understanding of how a cardiac arrest differs from a heart attack will allow bystanders to respond more effectively in an emergency.

Defib4Life Difference Between Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest infographic, WEL Medical blog

Source: Defib4Life

Stress Awareness Month: How Stress Impacts Heart Health

Because April is Stress Awareness Month, it’s a good time to address how stress affects the heart.

Recurring stress heightens risks for high blood pressure, heart conditions, and even cases of cardiac arrest. When under high-stress, there is the tendency for us to smoke cigarettes, imbibe, consume high amounts of junk food, move our body less, and experience increased fatigue and insomnia spells. These unhealthy habits will eventually add up and lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes, which all increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.

By being conscious of heart risks due to stress, you can take control of your heart and avoid these serious conditions.

woman in white shirt stressed and having chest pain at work

You are stressed, so what good habits can you turn your mind to to reduce your level of stress and feel better? Small adjustments to lifestyle can do wonders to protect your heart in the long run.

The NHS recommend 5 of the best ways to maintain a healthy mental wellbeing:

  1. Get a good connection to other people within your community for an enhanced general sense of well being and sense of belonging
  2. Exercise like walking, running, swimming, yoga, etc. to generate endorphins and trigger positive activity in the brain
  3. Develop new hobbies or skills to interact with others and contribute to a sense of purpose
  4. Perform kindnesses and acts of assistance in order to extend a helping hand and instill a sense of self-worth
  5. Exercise mindfulness techniques to help lower anxiety, depression, stress, and other problems.

What Is the Role of AEDs in Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survival?

CPR training provides individuals with the confidence to respond in high-stress medical situations.

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are an asset to help with cardiac emergencies. However despite being publicly available and tested life-saving equipment, most individuals are not instructed on what role AEDs have in stressful situations.

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) provide an electric shock to restore normal heart rhythm in cardiac arrest.

iPAD AED in orange case outside, public defibrillator WEL Medical

With iPAD Defibrillators, a life can be saved by anyone. iPAD defibrillators provide easy-to-follow functionality with:

  • Clear voice and visual guidance to walk through the procedure
  • Automatic shock delivery where needed, easy to use even for those without medical background
  • Easy Adult and Paediatric switch, enabling easy use for all ages
  • Long battery life and easy maintenance, ideal for public use

Making CPR Training Accessible Worldwide

Stressful workplace environments may be an underlying cause of other heart issues. Since 15% of cardiac arrests that occur outside a hospital occur at work, there is a need for encouraging CPR education among the general public. Public access defibrillators have also been shown to save lives and improve rates of response to cardiac arrest emergencies.

We continue to encourage CPR training in the work setting, school, and community. CPR Training has the ability to inspire confidence in building lifesaving skills and responding promptly when assistance is required. At WEL Medical, we highly suggest that companies and organisations invest in professional emergency response training, like the Brayden AED Trainer.

Linked with the Brayden AED Trainer, users can practice using advanced CPR manikins, like the Brayden CPR Manikin range, for an extended learning system to prepare quality chest compressions and AED usage. The users can train using real-life scenarios and prepare for emergencies effectively and confidently.

How To Take Action This World Health Day

You can train in CPR or renew your training to be ready for cardiac emergency situations.

This World Health Day, let us do our part to create greater awareness of the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and emergency care. It is no surprise that the presence of AEDs in public areas can play so significantly toward survival rates. With timely intervention methods known to improve survival, providing accessible use in your community centres, workplaces, parks, etc., public access defibrillators, like the iPAD AED, is necessary.

If you are concerned for your health, practice stress-managing behaviours that will enhance heart health and consult with your medical professional for tailored solutions.

Ready to Strengthen the Chain of Survival?

If you’re looking for support in enhancing your organisation’s training or resources, WEL Medical can help. We provide a range of lifesaving equipment, from CPR training manikins to defibrillators. With flexible finance options available, we aim to keep our solutions as accessible as possible.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to find out more about how you can make a difference in your community.

An image depicting a Brayden Manikin that reads 'Need industry-leading equipment to enhance your BLS training?' This image has a link to WEL Medical's contact page.

Further Reading