Bystander CPR refers to CPR provided by someone who witnesses or encounters a person experiencing cardiac arrest.

In 2023, there were 2,857 cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests where resuscitation efforts continued after emergency medical services arrived.

Professor Conor Deasy, chair of the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Register (OHCAR) and clinical director of emergency and acute care at Cork University Hospital, called the rise in bystander intervention “great news.” He noted that patients who survived were typically younger and had collapsed in public urban settings, in line with previous trends.

Professor Deasy emphasized the importance of knowing the right steps: calling 999/112, using speakerphone to communicate with emergency services, and starting chest compressions.

He also highlighted the role of the public in using defibrillators. Of the 304 patients defibrillated by bystanders, 89 survived (29%), underscoring the life-saving value of Community First Responders and Public Access Defibrillators.

Among the 2,857 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, 66% were male. The median age was 68, with ages ranging from less than one year to over 100 years.