Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the world’s leading cause of death. In the UK alone, there are 30,000 out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest events every year, and the chance of survival is less than 10%.

However, this figure can be doubled or even tripled if CPR is initiated by someone nearby or by an emergency responder.

In 2010, the American Heart Association (AHA) published CPR guidelines, which emphasized the importance of rapid identification of cardiac arrest and the importance of high-quality chest compressions.

These guidelines, which were based on a study by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), stated that higher survival rates were found in cases where 100 chest compressions were given per minute to a depth of 5cm.

Whilst it’s great that we now understand the importance of effective CPR, gauging the exact depth of chest compressions is extremely difficult for trained professionals, and almost impossible for an untrained bystander.

That’s why Beaty was developed.

Beaty is a small and easy to use device that provides audio feedback when a depth of 5cm is reached, allowing you to perform CPR effectively.

In this blog, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions surrounding CPR and talk you through the benefits of having Beaty as part of your emergency response kit.

What does CPR do and when should I start performing it?

When the heart stops beating, blood flow to the brain and vital organs ceases. Within 4 minutes, the damage to the brain is irreversible. Effective CPR allows blood to flow to the brain, which prevents permanent damage.

If the victim is unconscious (they are not responding to shaking or calling their name), look for breathing or gasps. If they are not breathing, call for help and start compressing their chest.

When should I use Beaty?

Beaty should be used in every case where CPR is indicated.

Gauging the exact compression depth required is extremely difficult for untrained bystanders, as well as medical professionals. Using Beaty when responding to a cardiac arrest event will help you perform effective CPR by providing real-time audible feedback when applying adequate force during chest compressions.

Do I have to be well trained before using Beaty?

Beaty was designed to be very intuitive, so every person will be able to use it in case of a medical emergency.

A sketch upon the device will guide you where to place it. After locating the device between your palms and victim’s chest, start compressing until audio feedback is achieved. The sound provided by the device indicates you are compressing effectively.

Is ventilation necessary when delivering CPR?

The ILCOR found similar survival rates with ‘hands only’ CPR and CPR involving chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth ventilation, so the decision to provide ventilation is down to the rescuer.

If you are trained and feel safe with ventilating the victim, a combination of chest compressions and ventilation is recommended at a rate of 30 compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths.

For untrained rescuers or in case you don’t feel safe or comfortable with ventilating the victim, ‘hands only’ CPR is recommended.

What about the other important factors in CPR that Beaty does not measure?

Effective CPR is composed of several factors, not only compression depth.

As mentioned earlier, the rate of compression is just as important as depth, but this is much easier to measure.

If you are performing CPR alongside the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), this will most likely have an in-built metronome that dictates the recommended compression rate.

If you do not have an AED to hand, the correct rate of compression can be achieved by following the rhythm of the song ‘Stayin’ Alive’ by the Bee Gees.

It is important to understand though that medical emergencies are very stressful (especially when it comes to our loved ones). If too much technical information is given during CPR, this can often confuse lay rescuers and result in ineffective CPR.

Many studies show that suboptimal compression depth is the biggest factor preventing effective CPR, even among professionals. By having Beaty as part of your emergency response kit, you can overcome this common problem.

Does the use of Beaty replace an AED?

Quite simply, no.

Whilst CPR alone does increase a victim’s chance of survival, the most effective way to treat SCA is with a combination of CPR and rapid defibrillation.

Recent studies have shown that survival rates following cardiac arrest due to arrhythmia were higher when effective chest compressions were performed before and after defibrillation.

What if, during CPR, the victim’s ribs are fractured?

It is important to understand that deeper compressions increase survival rate.

During effective CPR, skeletal injuries may happen, but none of them are fatal. Rib fractures are an acceptable alternative for death due to cardiac arrest.

What’s more, there’s plenty of legal protection from civil liability if injury was to occur during CPR.  You can find out more about this here.

Want to know more?

At Martek Lifecare, we are committed to making sure that you are rescue ready when it comes to Sudden cardiac Arrest, which is why we believe in life-saving products that are both easy to use and effective.

By giving audible feedback when adequate force is applied to a patient’s chest during CPR, Beaty gives those performing CPR a greater sense of confidence and increases the chance of survival among victims.

What’s more, it can be used in both live rescues and training, so you and those around you can be properly equipped to deliver life-saving CPR if the worst should happen.

For more information on Beaty, speak to a member of our team today.