Around 13 people die every day in Ireland as a result of sudden cardiac arrest, however some of these lives could be saved if more people knew CPR, the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) has said.

According to the foundation, sudden cardiac arrest can affect people of all ages, including babies and children.

Cardiac arrest refers to the sudden loss of function of the heart. It occurs when there is an abrupt disturbance in the heart's rhythm, causing the heart to stop beating.

A person whose heart has stopped beating will fall unconscious and stop breathing normally. If they do not get immediate medical assistance, sudden cardiac death will follow. Some 5,000 people die as a result of this every year in Ireland.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is a first aid technique which should be administered as soon as possible to a person who has suffered a cardiac arrest. It can double a person's chance of survival by keeping oxygen and blood circulating to the body's vital organs.

Hands-only (compression-only) CPR is a technique that can be used by anyone who has not undergone CPR training. To highlight the importance of this technique, the IHF held a practical training session for senior politicians, including Fine Gael TD Mary Mitchell O'Connor, Independent TD Denis Naughton and Senator Jillian Van Turnhout.

The IHF said its aim is to double cardiac arrest survival rates in Ireland by educating the public on how to deliver hands-only CPR. As part of the politicians' training session, fifth year pupils from Adamstown Community College in Co Dublin were able to show them in just 10 minutes how to carry out the technique.

It involves hard and fast compressions that go at least two inches deep in the centre of the chest. This keeps the heart beating manually.

"In the event of a collapse from cardiac arrest, every minute is vital, but without CPR or defibrillation, their chance of survival falls by up to 10% a minute. After just five minutes, that person may only have a 50% chance of survival.

"At the Irish Heart Foundation, our goal is that all adults and teens know the importance of calling 999 immediately and starting chest compressions, even if they have never been taught CPR before. These two steps can double a person's chance of survival but without CPR, there may be no-one left for paramedics to save," said cardiologist and IHF medical director, Dr Angie Brown.

In 2012, 93 people were discharged from hospital following a cardiac arrest, as a result of someone doing CPR or using an AED (automated external defibrillator) on them. An AED is a device that administers an electric shock to a person who has suffered a cardiac arrest.

This week marks the IHF's 25th Happy Hearts Appeal, which aims to raise €500,000. This money will be used to fund a national hands-only CPR awareness campaign to begin in the autumn.

Heart pins will be on sale on the streets and in SuperValu stores nationwide for €2 from May 15-17.

"This week I am asking everyone to stop and think, would I know what to do if my loved one collapsed suddenly? Our hands-only CPR education campaign could save the life of someone you know. Two-thirds of sudden cardiac arrests happen at home and half happen in front of someone just like you. For just €2, you can support teaching more people how to save a life, maybe the life of someone you love," Dr Brown added.

For more information on the appeal, click here

For more information on heart health, see our Heart Disease Clinic here