A study has found that defibrillators are used in just 10% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests

New research has found that defibrillators are not being used often enough in the UK. A study of cardiac arrests in the East of England found that public access defibrillators were available in 79% of cases, but only used in 10% of cases. The researchers say this highlights the need for better education and awareness about defibrillators.

There are more than 30,000 deaths from out of hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year, and fewer than one in ten people currently survive. Prompt CPR and defibrillation can more than double someone’s chances of survival.