The 3 life-saving ‘Ps’ you need to know if someone collapses in sudden cardiac arrest

A CARDIAC arrest is a fatal health emergency, where immediate action can be the difference between life and death.

That means following the three Ps: phone, push, press.

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The mnemonic, invented by St John Ambulance, explains how to use a defibrillator to restart the heart and help save lives. 

There are about 30,000 cardiac arrests every year and yet the public’s use of life-saving defibrillators remains low, the charity said.  

A cardiac arrest is when a person’s heart stops beating.

Someone who has had one will collapse unconscious.

Their breathing will be irregular and may stop, and they will be unresponsive.

David Bowen, national clinical lead for resuscitation at the charity, said: “A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time, and the sooner a person receives chest compressions (CPR) and defibrillation, the higher their chances are of survival.  

“The worst thing you can do in a cardiac arrest emergency is do nothing. 

“’Phone, push, press’ is a simple and catchy reminder of the actions you need to take – and we hope will help save more lives.” 

• “Phone” refers to dialling 999.
• “Push” relates to starting chest compressions to help keep the heart and brain oxygenated.
• “Press” refers to pressing the button on a defibrillator to give a shock to the casualty.

Research, published last year, found that 74 per cent of people know how to do CPR – otherwise known as cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Despite this, just 44 per cent would feel confident in performing it if someone was in a state of cardiac arrest.