Revival: Annually, first responders may potentially resuscitate up to 10,000 individuals.
In a bid to enhance life-saving measures in emergencies, three federal states in Germany are contemplating making CPR courses mandatory. North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has affirmed its intention to introduce compulsory resuscitation instruction for all secondary school students starting from the 2026/27 academic year. The identities of the other two states remain confidential.
Currently, only two federal states, Hesse and Saarland, mandate CPR training. Nevertheless, a culture of resuscitation is being championed nationwide by Christina Tillmann, the president of the ADAC Foundation.
The necessity for such a shift is evident. Approximately 136,000 individuals in Germany experience sudden cardiac arrest annually, with nearly 70,000 being revived outside of hospitals. Yet, many people are uncertain about utilizing a defibrillator, with three-quarters of the population feeling hesitant. This apprehension stems from the fact that defibrillators are not systematically distributed and their locations are not centrally recorded.
To address this, a national registry could be established to track and distribute defibrillators. Additionally, encouraging volunteer involvement in first responder structures and developing apps that alert qualified first responders in the vicinity of an emergency are proposed solutions.
First responder apps currently cover only half of Germany, with inconsistent funding and technical standards. The report, 'Monitor Reanimation 2025', suggests that up to 10,000 lives could be saved annually in Germany if bystanders promptly perform CPR on those experiencing cardiac arrest.
Telephone CPR is not uniformly implemented across Germany, and it could be made legally mandatory by emergency services. However, many people currently lack the confidence to perform CPR if someone collapses beside them. This lack of confidence is reflected in the fact that more than one in three people would not attempt to assist.
On average, it takes emergency services seven minutes to arrive, and even longer in rural areas, not including the time taken to make the emergency call. During this critical period, the risk of irreversible brain damage increases rapidly after just four minutes without CPR.
Incentives for regular adult CPR training could be provided to boost public confidence and participation. Encouragingly, 9% of laypeople surveyed have performed CPR at least once in their lives, and 80% of citizens support making CPR training mandatory nationwide.
Schools could play a pivotal role in this initiative by introducing mandatory CPR training to save lives. The ADAC Foundation study in Munich indicates that such a move could potentially save thousands of lives each year. As we strive towards a culture of resuscitation, every life saved will be a testament to the power of knowledge and community action.
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