How often does CPR work in our region?
In the Utrecht region, 24 percent of the resuscitations performed are successful. It may sound like little, but it is actually quite a lot, says Jeroen Balk. On average, only 5 to 10 percent of the victims survive. “So you can see how much use it is if people are called in to help as soon as possible.”
In those 6 most important minutes after a cardiac arrest, a victim has less oxygen and also less blood being pumped, explains Balk. “The longer the brain is without blood flow, the more damage. That is why our civilian emergency workers always try to get there at high speed. And sometimes it works, and sometimes unfortunately not.”