Collapse of footballer Eriksen highlights value of CPR training, says charity – Personnel Today

Danish footballer Christian Eriksen in action on the pitch in 2018. Image: Shutterstock

The charity The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has highlighted the importance of more people having training in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) following the dramatic collapse of Danish footballer Christian Eriksen at the weekend during the Euro 2020 tournament.

BHF associate medical director and consultant cardiologist Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan said: “If someone suffers a cardiac arrest, it’s vital they receive immediate CPR and defibrillation to give them the best chance of survival. Thankfully it seems that this was the response that Christian received.”

The Danish midfielder collapsed while playing and was given emergency CPR by medics during his side’s clash with Finland, before being rushed to hospital.

Just one in ten people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK, and every minute without CPR and defibrillation decreases a person’s chances of survival by up to 10%, the BHF has said.

Dr Babu-Narayan added: “Every second counts when someone suffers a cardiac arrest – the more of us that know how to perform CPR, the more lives that can be saved.

“It’s crucial that we continue to find opportunities to offer everyone training in CPR – including in secondary school education – and that we make public access defibrillators readily available in the places they are needed most. This will mean that more people could get the rapid and life-saving response that Christian received.”

The foundation, for example, offers workplace-based training in CPR and encourages organisations to consider installing a defibrillator in their workplace, while the charity Heart Safe has a defibrillators’ map here.