The “European Cardiac Restart Day” was established by a declaration of the European Parliament in 2012 and highlights its messages on 16 October each year, aiming to improve the rate of patients surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by improving information and education of the public in resuscitation of an arrest victim and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Sudden cardiac death is the sudden and unpredictable cessation of cardiac and/or respiratory function. If not treated immediately, permanent brain damage occurs.

The only possibility to bring the victim back to life is immediate medical intervention and the administration of electric current – defibrillation, with a special machine called an external defibrillator.

Sudden cardiac death, unfortunately, is not rare and can happen, not only in sports arenas but also in any place and to any person of any age.

“All of us can save a life” says the Hellenic Cardiology Society. Survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest remain very low with less than one in 10 people surviving. CPR, however, if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chances of survival.

The Hellenic Cardiology Society continues its initiatives to inform citizens about the avoidance of sudden cardiac death and the need for citizens as a whole to be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an external defibrillator.

With the continuous certified CPR seminars it holds at its training center for health professionals and citizens, as well as with the Athens Heart Festival at Syntagma, where, on the occasion of World Heart Day, hundreds of students were informed and trained in basic CPR skills, the Greek Cardiology Society informs and raises awareness of Greek citizens at every opportunity.

Finally, with the recent Memorandum of Cooperation with the Basketball Federation for training throughout the country for all those involved in the popular sport of basketball, the Hellenic Cardiology Society expects to reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death within sports venues.