Amazon Alexa could pick up on a patient in cardiac arrest

Smart speakers could one day pick up if someone is suffering a cardiac arrest and call emergency services, research suggests.

A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body, which often causes a sufferer to produce a 'guttural, gasping noise'.

Researchers have developed a new tool for devices such as an Amazon Alexa that detects this disrupted breathing and contacts emergency services.

When tested on real calls, the tool picked up on cardiac arrests 97 per cent of the time, even when the gasping sound was 20ft (6m) away from the receiver. 

The University of Washington researchers hope the 'compelling' technology will one day be added to smart speakers as standard to help 'catch more patients in time'. 

Smart speakers could one day pick up if someone is suffering a cardiac arrest

Smart speakers could one day pick up if someone is suffering a cardiac arrest

Study author Dr Shyam Gollakota said: 'A lot of people have smart speakers in their homes and these devices have amazing capabilities we can take advantage of. 

'We envision a contactless system that works by continuously and passively monitoring the bedroom for an agonal breathing event.'

He added that it alerts anyone nearby to come provide CPR. However, the scientists did not explain how it does this. 

'And then if there's no response, the device can automatically call 911,' Dr Gollakota added. The tool can filter out background sounds.

The research was led by Justin Chan, a PhD student in the department of computer science and engineering.  

Almost 500,000 Americans die each year from a cardiac arrest, the researchers wrote in the journal npj Digital Medicine.

And the condition kills 100,000 Britons annually, according to Arrhythmia Alliance. 

Study author Dr Jacob Sunshine, assistant professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine, said: 'Cardiac arrests are a very common way for people to die and right now many of them can go unwitnessed. 

'Part of what makes this technology so compelling is that it could help us catch more patients in time for them to be treated.' 

Immediate CPR can double or even triple a patient's chance of survival, however, it relies on a bystander being willing to help. 

UK research suggests nearly a third of adults (30 per cent) would not perform CPR if someone was suffering a cardiac arrest. 

This is said to be largely due to bystanders lacking in confidence they could perform CPR correctly.

In the US, nearly 383,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospital every year, of which 88 per take place at home, American Heart Association statistics show. 

The bedroom is one of the most likely places for a cardiac arrest to occur, with many sufferers being alone or with their partners sleeping besides them, the researchers claim.

Smart speakers could therefore be well placed to pick up on the gasping noises a patient makes, which is known as agonal breathing.  

Agonal breathing occurs in around half of people suffering cardiac arrests, according to emergency-services data. 

'This kind of breathing happens when a patient experiences really low oxygen levels,' Dr Sunshine said.

'It's sort of a guttural

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