Red Cross: Dutch people afraid to perform CPR

The majority of Dutch people has an alarming lack of knowledge when it comes to how to perform CPR and most would rather not be the one to do it. The Red Cross calls this lack of knowledge life threatening, precisely because acting quickly can be the difference between life and death.

Research done by the Red Cross shows that 74 percent of Dutch people have "insufficient" knowledge about what to do if someone nearby has a heart attack. Nearly 60 percent do not know where the closest Automated External Defibrillator, or AED, is. The study also showed that less than 30 percent would start CPR and 43 percent indicated that they would only do it if there's really no one else around who could do CPR.

According to Red Cross, the survival rate of heart attacks increases by 50 percent if CPR is performed with the help of an AED within the first 6 minutes. The relief organization is therefore demanding more attention for its resuscitation course. Red Cross is also introducing an app which will provide the location of the nearest AED and give tips on how to use it.