TV2 published an article about a new amendment aimed at ensuring that ambulances and cardiac rescue teams are dispatched more quickly so that more lives can be saved.
According to the source, previous guidelines required checking that the sick person was breathing normally before calling emergency services, but now the guidelines have changed so that you must call emergency services immediately if the person is unconscious, and then you can check the person's breathing afterwards.
There is no time to waste when it comes to resuscitating someone who has collapsed with the potential for cardiac arrest, which is why the guidelines for life-saving first aid are being revised now.
This may seem like a minor adjustment to the system, but it is of great importance, says Sebastian Wiberg, president of the Danish Resuscitation Council: “The challenge is that it can be relatively difficult, if you have never seen a case of cardiac arrest before, to assess whether breathing is normal or not, so the recommendation now is to call 112 immediately, so that the staff, who are very well trained in detecting cardiac arrest, can help you make the decision,” according to Sebastian Wiberg, according to the source.
How to save a life in case of suspected cardiac arrest
The European Resuscitation Council has revised its guidelines for life-saving resuscitation and first aid, and this is what you should do when you need to save a life:
- If the person is unconscious, this is a sign of cardiac arrest.
- Call 112 and check the person's breathing while waiting for the call to be answered.
- The staff will guide you through life-saving first aid.
- Begin with CPR and artificial respiration: Place one hand with your palm in the middle of the person's chest, and place your other hand on top, with your fingers interlaced.
- Do 30 chest compressions and two breaths. Repeat.
- If you are unable to perform CPR, simply continue performing CPR until a defibrillator or professional assistance arrives.
- If several people are present, ask them to bring a defibrillator. When you call 112, you will be informed of the location of the nearest defibrillator, if it is registered on hjertestarter.dk.
- If a defibrillator is available, turn it on and press the power button. A voice will guide you through the entire process.
Source: Danish Resuscitation Council
According to Sebastian Wiberg, it makes a difference because you don't have to check first that breathing is normal before calling for help: “We believe and hope that this means more cardiac arrests will be identified more quickly, so that the emergency center can send ambulances and cardiac rescue teams more quickly.” This change is based on experiences gained in Norway, and the recommendation has been in place for several years, and the experience has been good, according to Sebastian Wiberg.
We hope to receive a faster response.
The revised guidelines were adopted by the European Recovery Council, which updates its advice every five years.
The guidelines were then sent to the medical associations affiliated with the Danish Resuscitation Council for consultation, and they translated them into Danish. We at Denmark 24 took the initiative to translate them into Arabic.
The Danish Resuscitation Council is an umbrella organization comprising 23 organizations that organize first aid courses for individuals and healthcare workers.
Despite the amendment, citizens will still be able to access educational materials that have not yet been updated, and the new guidelines are expected to be fully integrated into the curriculum by the summer of 2026.
Around 5,000 Danes suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year. The chances of survival increase significantly if CPR is started before the ambulance arrives.
Source: TV2 website, W. Ritsau
