In the event of a cardiac arrest, the chances of survival and of avoiding serious after-effects depend on how quickly the patient is treated. Being trained in first aid techniques is the best way to increase a victim’s chances of survival.
3 minutes without intervention
that’s how long it takes for a cardiac arrest to be fatal
1 minute without intervention
means a 10% lower chance of survival
3 actions to save a life: Alert, massage, defibrillate
When you witness a cardiac arrest, 3 simple actions can save a life:
- Alert the emergency services: 18 for the fire brigade and 15 for the ambulance service (in France), and 112 for European emergency services,
- Perform a cardiac massage,
- Use a defibrillator if there is one nearby (unless you are the only person at the scene, do not leave the victim alone and continue to massage until help arrives).
First aid training
You can learn life-saving techniques by taking first aid courses at various levels. An introduction to life-saving skills (GSQ) takes place over 2 hours and covers the main emergency situations. As for the PSC1 training (prevention and civic first aid level 1), it takes place over a full day (7 hours) and the subjects covered are more varied.
To take a first aid course, you can contact various organizations such as the Red Cross (Croix-Rouge), the fire brigade or the Civil Defense (Protection Civile). Most courses cost between €15 and €60 on average, but they can be funded by your company or your CPF (Compte Personnel de Formation) personal training account.
Find out more about training organizations.
