Cardiac arrest survival rate rise

Just under one in six people who had a cardiac arrest witnessed by another person survived during 2006/07.

This compares with a survival rate of one in 10 during the previous year, according to the London Ambulance Service (LAS) report.

The study also found ambulance staff responded to cardiac arrest call-outs a minute faster than last year.

LAS REPORT FINDINGS

• The average age of a cardiac arrest patient was 67
• About two-thirds of cardiac arrests in London occurred in the home
• Of those that occurred in public, over a third took place in the street
• Cardiac arrests occurred most frequently on a Saturday

When a cardiac arrest occurs a person's heart stops beating, they lose consciousness, stop breathing and have no signs of circulation.

Medical director Dr Fionna Moore said: "Every second is vital when someone collapses and stops breathing, and to have seen such tremendous improvements in these survival rates is a great achievement.

"There is no greater satisfaction for our staff than to know that they have helped save someone's life."

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London Ambulance Service
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