A 26-year-old Ghanaian lawyer, Sara Araba Tettey, reportedly died after collapsing during celebrations in Bomso near the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology) in Kumasi, with CPR performed for about 45 minutes at KNUST Hospital before she was pronounced dead, a tragic case that has renewed urgent focus on what ordinary people must do in the first minutes of a suspected cardiac arrest.
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Those first moments matter more than anything else.
Because when the heart stops, survival depends less on where you are and more on what you do next.
The First 60 Seconds: What to Do Before Help Arrives
When someone suddenly collapses, the brain begins losing oxygen almost immediately. The priority is simple. Recognise cardiac arrest quickly and start CPR without delay.
Quick life-saving checklist
If a person collapses and is unresponsive:
- Check if they respond by tapping and shouting
- Look for normal breathing, not gasping
- Call Ambulance Service on 112 in Ghana
- Send someone for an AED immediately
- Start chest compressions immediately
Do not wait for certainty.
Irregular gasping is not normal breathing and should be treated as cardiac arrest.
An Automated External Defibrillator, or AED, if available, should be switched on immediately and followed step-by-step. It gives voice instructions and can restart a dangerous heart rhythm when used early.
Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces survival chances significantly.
How to Perform CPR That Keeps the Heart and Brain Alive
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, does not restart the heart. Instead, it keeps blood flowing to the brain and vital organs until medical help takes over.
Step 1: Position and hand placement
Place the person flat on their back on a firm surface.
- Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest
- Put the other hand on top
- Keep arms straight with shoulders directly above your hands
Step 2: Push hard and fast
- Compress the chest 5 to 6 centimetres deep
- Maintain 100 to 120 compressions per minute
- Allow full chest recoil between compressions
- Do not stop unless the person recovers or help arrives
Think of it as continuous life support using your hands.
Do Rescue Breaths Matter?
For most adult sudden collapses outside hospital settings, hands-only CPR is recommended for members of the public.
That means continuous chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth breathing.
Rescue breaths are mainly important in:
- Drowning cases
- Choking incidents
- Drug overdose
- Children and infants
- Trained medical response situations
The priority in all adult collapses is uninterrupted chest compressions.
Why AEDs Can Change Survival Chances
An AED, or Automated External Defibrillator, can detect abnormal heart rhythms and deliver a shock to restore a normal rhythm.
Used together, CPR and AED access dramatically improve survival outcomes.
AEDs are designed for public use and guide users step-by-step with voice instructions, even without medical training.
They are increasingly available in airports, schools, malls, sports venues, and hospitals.
The key is speed. The earlier the shock, the higher the chance of survival.
Why This Matters Beyond One Tragic Case
Cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack.
A heart attack is a circulation blockage in the heart. Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly stops pumping altogether.
Without oxygen, brain injury can begin within 3 to 5 minutes.
This is why bystander CPR is one of the most important factors in survival before an ambulance arrives.
Health experts estimate that immediate CPR can double or even triple survival chances in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Sara Araba Tettey’s death is a painful reminder that cardiac arrest can strike suddenly, even during moments of celebration, and that survival often depends on whether someone nearby knows what to do.
CPR is not a specialist skill. It is a public survival response.
And in most emergencies, the difference between life and death is not distance from a hospital but action in the first three minutes.
