Paramedic says it is crucial to urgently assist a patient with cardiac arrest
According to ER24 paramedics, the chances of a person in cardiac arrest surviving decrease by 10% for every minute he or she does not receive CPR.

ER24 Southern Cape branch manager Tao Carstens said waiting too long to start CPR could significantly decrease the odds of that person surviving. Furthermore, she said it was important for bystanders to give pre-hospital emergency assistance to someone going through cardiac arrest as soon as possible, before paramedics got there.

She said a cardiac arrest – including heart disease, stroke, electrocution, drowning, and suffocation – could occur when a patient had a seizure and stopped breathing.

Moreover, she said patients experiencing cardiac arrest were usually unresponsive, showed no signs of a pulse, and were not breathing.

“Always call ER24 on 084 124 for immediate assistance in the event of cardiac arrest. Then lie the person on his or her back, feel for a pulse, and start CPR immediately. The staff at the ER24 contact centre will guide you telephonically – and if you’re in a public place that has a portable automated external defibrillator on hand, they’ll get security to bring the AED. Remember, every second counts,” said Tao.

She further advised bystanders to start telephonically assisted CPR in order to buy time before paramedics got there.