Would you know how to save a loved one’s life?

Fewer than 1 in 5 people in the UK would know how to save a loved one’s life, and how to use a defibrillator in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, according to new research.  

This research reveals that other barriers holding people back from using these life-saving devices include a lack of confidence and a fear of causing further harm.

Ironically, these fears could have fatal consequences. With out-of-hospital cardiac arrests claiming the lives of 150 people in the UK every day, making it one of the nation’s biggest killers. Just one third of UK adults are able to recognise the symptoms of a cardiac arrest.

Adding to this concerning picture, the study found that the cost of conventional AEDs is another significant barrier.

Headline research findings

• Only 20% of people  know how to use an AED in an emergency.
• 62% of people do not know where their nearest AED is when at home.
• 36% of people do not know how to recognise if someone is having a sudden cardiac arrest.
• 53% of people would not know how to save a loved one’s life if they had a sudden cardiac arrest.
• Only 27% of people have had AED training.
• The main thing holding people back from using an AED is a lack of training (43%); followed by a lack of confidence (41%); and a fear of causing further damage (35%).
• The main barrier to purchasing an AED is cost (42%); followed by being worried about how to use it (27%).