A year on from Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest at the Euros, we are urging people across the country to use a new online tool, RevivR, that can help anyone learn CPR in just 15 minutes.
A year ago, the world watched in horror as Danish footballer Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland.
He received immediate CPR and defibrillation on the pitch and was subsequently fitted with an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator).
Incredibly, he is back playing top flight football less than a year after his cardiac arrest.
The event was a stark and high profile reminder of how a cardiac arrest can strike anyone at any time, without warning, and lit a fire under our mission to help everyone learn lifesaving CPR and defibrillation skills.
Eriksen’s collapse saw record numbers of searches for CPR and defibrillation on our website.
The event increased the urgency behind the development of our innovative CPR training tool RevivR. RevivR is easy, quick and free – all you need is a mobile phone and a cushion.
In 15 minutes, the training tool teaches you how to recognize a cardiac arrest, gives feedback on chest compressions and outlines the correct steps of defibrillator use, giving anyone the confidence to step in and save a life in the event of the ultimate medical emergency.
CPR saves lives
Our corporate partners, including Tesco, Travelodge and Royal Mail are already rolling out the tool to their staff.
There are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK, but less than one in 10 people survive.
Immediate CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival in some cases – yet surveys show that over a third of adults have never undertaken any form of CPR training.
There is an urgent need for more people to learn CPR, and we are determined to reach as many people as possible with RevivR to help increase survival rates.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive, said: “One year on from Christian Eriksen’s collapse during the Euros, we’re so pleased to see his incredible recovery and return to his football career. The events of last June shocked the world, and served. as a powerful reminder of the vital importance of immediate CPR and defibrillation for giving someone the best chance of survival.
“Tragically, we know that fewer than one in 10 survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in this country – a statistic we are determined to improve by giving everyone the opportunity to learn CPR. Our online CPR training tool RevivR is an easy, quick and free way to learn from scratch or brush up your skills. All you need is 15 minutes, and it could teach you the skills needed to save a life.”
We are also working to improve survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests via The Circuit: the national defibrillator network. Launched last year, The Circuit connects defibrillators to ambulance services across the UK, so they can be accessed immediately in the event of a cardiac arrest.
The BHF is urging people who look after defibrillators to register them on The Circuit.
TRY THE REVIVR TOOL