13/10/2025
Would you hesitate to save a life?
A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops circulating blood to vital organs leading to a loss of consciousness and breathing.
CPR and defibrillation are critical for surviving a cardiac arrest.
CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It’s a technique used to pump blood around the body by pushing on the chest, keeping the brain and vital organs alive.
For every minute that CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.
But maybe you have some hesitation about jumping in to help someone in cardiac arrest by performing CPR.
We’ve busted some myths about CPR to set the record straight.
❌Mouth-to-mouth is needed when providing CPR.
✅ Chest compressions are the most important part of CPR and should be the first priority in most adult cardiac arrests. Chest compressions help pump blood around the body, keeping the brain and vital organs alive.
❌Only medical professionals can perform CPR.
✅ Anyone can learn and perform CPR. All you need are your hands and to push hard and fast on the chest. Any CPR is better than no CPR.
❌You can get sued for performing CPR on a stranger.
✅ In Australia, Good Samaritan laws protect people who help in emergencies, including giving CPR, as long as you act in good faith and are not significantly impaired by drugs or alcohol.
❌ If you do CPR wrong, you might hurt the patient or make things worse.
✅ When someone's heart has stopped, they’re in an extremely critical condition. Performing CPR, even with the risk of breaking ribs, gives them a chance at survival - doing nothing does not.
❌ AEDs are dangerous to use.
✅ If an AED/defib is available, use it as soon as possible. The device will analyse the heart rhythm and tell you if a shock is needed. It won’t allow a shock to be delivered if the person has a normal heart rhythm.
By performing CPR when someone is in cardiac arrest, we can all improve cardiac arrest survival rates and help save lives, together.
