A total of 60% of those surveyed would not use a defibrillator for resuscitation despite having one nearby, according to a recent survey.
“There is little point in investing in, placing, and registering thousands of defibrillators if more than half of us don’t dare to use it when necessary. We risk lives being lost completely unnecessarily,” chief physician Conrad A. Bjørshol at Stavanger University Hospital (SUS) noted in a press release.
Norstat conducted the survey on behalf of the Gjensidige Foundation in September, and 3,000 respondents participated.
Among those under the age of 30, as many as 7 out of 10 answered that they would not use a defibrillator for resuscitation.
“Using a defibrillator is as simple as using a vacuum cleaner, and half of the people can survive cardiac arrest if they get a shock within three minutes,” Bjørshol said.
Grim figures
Every year, around 3,700 people in Norway have a cardiac arrest outside hospitals.
On average, about ten people are affected every day, but only one to two survive.
Life-saving efforts or the use of defibrillators from people who happen to be nearby often mean the difference between life and death.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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