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People Fixing the World
Spotting the sound of a cardiac arrest
People Fixing the World
Sep 24, 2019

If you have a cardiac arrest you need help immediately to have any chance of surviving. That’s why emergency call operators ask questions specifically designed to identify the condition, ideally within 90 seconds. Panicked and emotional callers don't always give simple answers, though, and evidence suggests cardiac arrests go unidentified in at least a quarter of emergency calls. In Denmark, a team of computer engineers is using new technology to listen in on emergency phone calls and look for clues in the conversation that the operator may have missed. We visit an emergency call centre in the Danish capital to see the system in action and find out if a computer really can detect cardiac arrests faster than humans working alone. Producer / Reporter: Sam Judah Photo Credit: Getty Images

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People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Zoe Gelber US reporter: Ben Wyatt Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Gareth Jones

(Image: Students in Baltimore practicing yoga, Holistic Life Foundation)


24min 13sec



Spotting the sound of a cardiac arrest

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