@afewbugs I've been trained through work.
The dirty secret is that CPR doesn't work like it does in movies. It may help a drowning victim regain consciousness but only a shock will restart the heart for heart attacks.
CPR helps prevent brain damage until the heart can be restarted.
And you will have to cut a woman's bra off. It will interfere with the shock.
@sewblue The poster will have learned this on their course but to clarify for anyone reading the above post and thinking shocks restart a stopped heart: shocks do not restart asystole. You want adrenaline in an cardiac resuscitation protocol for that.
Only about 25% of heart attacks are shockable rhythms (when a defibrillator helps). That's why an AED / CPAD checks whether a shock can and should be deployed as part of its automated operation. Calling an ambulance first is the most important thing to do in a cardiac event or any such emergency (after starting CPR when someone isn't breathing)
@TheDonsieLass Excellent clarification! The AED will check and will only shock when it can work.
The AED will be still be invaluable in walking you through CPR, even if it can't help. It is really hard to keep the necessary 100-120 beats per minute without audio assistance. It helps you keep time.
It is also important to name people to meet, then lead, emergency services to the location.
Make use of bystanders. Every building entrance, nearby street should have someone waiting for the ambulance. Point to people at random and assign them a spot.
@sewblue All great reminders. And the good news is, no one needs to remember all the details. The emergency dispatchers can explain, and if there's an AED in view then it might also talk you through.
(my worry is people will absorb the "AEDs save lives" discourse so focus on running round to find one rather than calling for help, having someone to swap out for CPR after two minutes, direct the emergency services to location, etc.)