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June 15, 2021
Doctor and Red Cross call for annual CPR course for amateur athletes: 'Could save teammate's life'
All amateur athletes should take a CPR course every year. That call is made by general practitioner in training Bernard Leenstra after the incident with Christian Eriksen: "It makes the difference between life and death." He gets support from the Red Cross.
The number of cardiac arrest fatalities decreases significantly if more athletes can perform CPR, according to Leenstra. "It's not quite accurate to say, but we count about 43 resuscitations a day in the Netherlands," says the doctor. "That's a lot."
Cardiac arrest Eriksen
Since soccer player Christian Eriksen collapsed from cardiac arrest Saturday during the European Championship match between Denmark and Sweden, there has been talk about the actions of the medical staff. "It was done incredibly well," Leenstra believes. "The doctors arrived on the scene quickly and he was still able to leave the field conscious."
Leenstra was "shocked senseless" when he saw it happen. And that's not surprising. In 2017, we saw it end dramatically for another top soccer player, Ajax player Abdelhak Nouri. During a practice match, he suffered a cardiac arrest, but help came too late for him. He fell into a coma and his brain functions were damaged beyond repair.
All-important first minutes
"The first few minutes after cardiac arrest determine everything," the doctor explains. After 3 to 4 minutes of no more blood being pumped to the brain, a person already becomes brain dead. "At 6 minutes someone is so brain dead that they already won't live. So you really have to get there very quickly."
That's why Leenstra believes there needs to be more awareness of life-saving action, especially where sports are played. "If you exchange one training session a year for a first aid course; that makes the difference between life and death. You're suddenly so dependent on your teammates sometimes and it can really go wrong."
Importance of CPR
The doctor's call is heartily supported by the Red Cross, which itself has been working for years to draw attention to the importance of CPR. Today they launched a campaign via Instagram called "Life Saving Stories. With the campaign, the organization also hopes to make more young people aware of its seriousness.
According to the Heart Foundation, in more than 75 percent of cardiac arrest cases, it is the bystander who begins CPR even before an ambulance arrives. Half of the times, it is also the bystander who connects an AED; a device that can restore heart rhythm by delivering an electric shock.
'She saved my life'
It has also been the salvation for Cor Ruiten; a fit 72-year-old man with no health problems. Last December, he suddenly fell forward while cycling. A woman who saw it happen started calling for help, he says. Although he can't remember anything about it himself.
Because it was rather quiet on the street, the woman quickly rang the doorbell at the first available house. A woman there answered the door, called 911 and immediately began CPR. "If she hadn't been there, I wouldn't have survived," says Cor. "She really saved my life."
Cardiac arrest in young people
Cardiac arrest is particularly common in older people; the average age is 67 and 70 percent of them are male. "In children, it doesn't occur as much," Leenstra also says. "But you do see it happen in young people as well." He himself had to resuscitate a 12-year-old boy 3 years ago. It ended well. "He is fortunately playing soccer again."
With that, the doctor reiterates the importance of CPR: "Now turn one such training into a life-saving action course." And the advice is to repeat it every year: "It can save a teammate's life."