Cardiac arrest in the middle of the Euro match. Danish player Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch on Saturday 12 June during a Denmark-Finland match.

The very first minutes are crucial in cardiac arrest. If you witness this kind of discomfort, do not hesitate to react as quickly as possible.

Read also: Gestures that save: cardiac massage

How to spot a cardiac arrest?

Suddenly, the person collapses, is inert and no longer reacts. Before rescuing him, make sure that there is no surrounding danger: look before crossing the road, disconnect the current… Do not risk finding yourself in danger.

It is then necessary to note the absence of signs of life: the person does not respond when spoken to, emits no sound and does not react when asked to shake hands, for example. In this case, you have to call for help, and shout “help”.

Finally, check his breathing. Neither the stomach nor the chest rise? Check by placing your hand on your stomach, above the navel. If the person is not breathing, they are in cardiac arrest.

How to do cardiac massage?

First of all, contact the emergency services: 15, 18 or 112, and specify that the victim seems to be in cardiac arrest. Wait for the other party to tell you that you can hang up before doing so. Don’t hesitate to send someone else to pick up a defibrillator.

For cardiac massage, if the victim is lying on their back, place yourself next to them on their knees. Place the heel of one hand in the center of the chest, strictly on the midline. Then place the other hand on top of the first and press 4 to 5 cm, arms outstretched and elbows not bent.

Immediately release the pressure. The chest should return to its original shape after each compression. Keep pressing steadily, 100 times per minute, according to the rhythm of the song ” Staying Alive From the Bee Gees.

Until when to continue?

If someone else has brought you a defibrillator, open it and follow the voice instructions given by the device.

As long as the victim does not react, you must continue to massage or defibrillate until help arrives. One minute of cardiac and respiratory arrest is a 10% less chance of survival. In addition, a minute without oxygen for the brain can have very serious consequences.

Remember: bad heart massage is better than no heart massage.