Sudden Cardiac Arrest can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time — watching TV at home, asleep in bed, mowing the lawn, shopping, playing sport, at work, or on a train. We simply cannot predict when or where it will happen. What we can do is be prepared to act immediately when it does.
What Happens When Cardiac Arrest Strikes
As the victim collapses — often from a standing position, from a chair, or onto a footpath — they may sustain injuries in the fall. Fractured arms, legs or skull, and lacerations to the head, arms or legs are common. These injuries are real and must be dealt with — but not first.
The priority, always, is CPR and defibrillation. These two actions give the patient the best possible chance of survival. Everything else comes second.
Your Priority Order
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Follow DRSABCD immediately. Danger, Response, Send for help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillation — in that order. |
| 2 | Call 000 immediately. Get the ambulance on the way while you begin CPR — do not wait. |
| 3 | Start CPR and apply the AED as soon as possible. Early chest compressions and early defibrillation are the two actions most proven to save lives in cardiac arrest. |
| 4 | Treat injuries only if time and help permit. Once CPR and defibrillation are underway and more hands are available, you may be able to bandage lacerations or splint a limb. But you may not get to this at all — and that is fine. The priority has been met. |
A Note on Injuries
It can be confronting to see someone with a head laceration or a suspected fracture and feel pulled toward treating those injuries first — particularly if you have first aid training. Resist that instinct. A fractured arm will not kill someone in the next two minutes. Cardiac arrest will. The injuries will be managed by paramedics when they arrive. Your job is to keep blood moving and the heart in a shockable rhythm until help gets there.
Have you managed a cardiac arrest, or want to plan for one?
Our paramedic team is available 24/7. Whether you want to debrief after a real event or prepare your workplace for the possibility, we’re here to help.
Or send us an enquiry — we’ll get back to you promptly.
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