Spain holds widespread CPR training events for World Cardiac Arrest Day

Across various regions in Spain, health services and educational institutions organized multiple training sessions and 'cardiomarathons' to mark World Cardiac Arrest Day on October 16. These initiatives aimed to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of automated external defibrillators (AED) to students and the general public.

In Andalusia, the 061 Emergency Health Center conducted training for hundreds of youths in Baeza and Granada. In Valencia, SAMU medical teams reported reanimating 1,841 people in 2024, coinciding with awareness activities in La Pobla de Vallbona and Elche. Other regional efforts included practical workshops in Ciudad Real, San Fernando, Barbastro, and Motril.

The campaigns emphasize that early intervention by bystanders can significantly increase survival rates. In Spain, where approximately 30,000 people die annually from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, survival rates are currently around 5%, but could potentially triple with immediate CPR application.