First Aid Newsletter

In Germany, 350 people suffer cardiac arrest daily, but only 11 percent survive – emergency services are falling far short of their targets. The system crisis is attributed to structural deficiencies, regional quality disparities, and capacity limits of the federal system. Reforms incorporating digitalization and WHO guidelines are urgently needed.

Emergency paramedics are increasingly administering pain relief medications, thereby expanding their clinical authority within German emergency services. This shift in competencies occurs against the backdrop of emergency physician shortages and aims to provide patients faster pain relief. State-specific differences in permitted measures remain in place.

In Borås (Sweden) and North Carolina (USA), drones are equipped with AED defibrillators to reach cardiac arrest patients within 2–5 minutes – faster than ambulances. A 60-year-old Swede was successfully resuscitated by a drone-delivered defibrillator. This model could help Germany overcome response time delays.

Since 2024, emergency paramedics and first responders in Lower Saxony have been connected with telemedicine emergency physicians via video consultation; as of April 2026, 16 districts are connected. The model is intended to compensate for emergency physician shortages and improve care quality in rural districts. Rollout to additional states is being discussed.

DRK, Johanniter, and Malteser are intensifying first aid courses in summer 2026 with specialized refresher courses and practical training (e.g., airway management with training mannequins). The courses follow current DGUV guidelines and are offered for free or at low cost. These campaigns indicate growing public interest and efforts to increase lay CPR rates.