No age barrier to learning CPR

If your heart stops suddenly, you won't care what age the person is who administers CPR and saves your life, writes Brian Byrne.

And that's why PJ Fagan, local volunteer with the Irish Red Cross, was quite happy to show the technique to a young person at Kilcullen Mart yesterday, during the Farm Safety event.

"But a couple of years ago, we couldn't have done that," he told the Diary. "It was only last year that we had the younger age limit for qualifying someone in CPR brought down to 12 years. Before that it was 16."

There's no upper age limit, but PJ says that older people sometimes say they wouldn't have the strength to use the technique if they found someone in cardiac arrest.

"That might be the case occasionally, but wouldn't it still be useful if they could direct someone else how to do it? That's why I think everyone should learn."

True. And it can be learned quickly. So whatever age you are, if you get a chance to learn at a local first aid course, or wherever, take the short time it needs.