Defibrillators (or ‘defibs’ for short) are a hot topic right now – deservedly so as having one close at hand can mean the difference between life and death.
We recently had the pleasure of a visit from Guy Leech who now spends his working life as a defib ambassador (Founder & CEO) for Heart 180, one of the worlds leading suppliers of defibs.
Defibs have started to become common in larger strata and community schemes (particularly in pool/gym areas), however, we believe they should be common at any size scheme because of the concentration of residents and the absolute difference they can make in the event that someone has a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).
As we get further into the needs and wants of those living in strata and community schemes, we see health and safety as one of the paramount (but passive) issues for residents. Defibs have a very important role to play in the area of health and safety and we’ll be spending a lot of time in 2020 and beyond talking to building owners and developers about the benefits of having these onsite.
We are all about smarter buildings and this is the key to making ‘heart smart’ buildings.
The following is a fact sheet that we prepared with the guys at Heart 180.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of death in Australia. Having an accessible Defibrillator in your building can make the difference.
A Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a condition that occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops pumping. Each year, SCA strikes approximately 30,000 Australians.
Unfortunately, only around 6% survive, often because help cannot reach them in time. The average ambulance response time is between 9-14 minutes. SCA is not gender or age-specific!
Without defibrillation, for every minute that passes, the chance of survival is reduced by approx 10%. Application of pads on patient within 180 seconds increase the survival rate to over 70%. With good CPR & a defibrillator up to approx 90% survival rate.
We are in an increasingly cautious world and one of the protections that can be provided to residents is an accessible defibrillator located in key common areas, that they are able to access in the event that someone is having a cardio event, giving them a chance at survival.
| What are they | Defibrillation is a technique used in emergency medicine to terminate ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. It uses an electrical shock to reset the electrical state of the heart so that it may beat to a rhythm controlled by its own natural pacemaker cells. A defibrillator is a commonly used medical device which can deliver this shock. A defibrillator delivers a set amount of electrical shock to the heart after it analyses the heart rhythm. It determines whether a shock is required to the heart via adhesive electrode pads attached to the person’s chest. The shock delivered by a defibrillator interrupts the chaotic rhythm of the heart and gives the heart the chance to return to its normal rhythm. |
| The Devices | The common defibrillator is highly advanced and will guide the user through the process. A device cannot be used on people without a cardiac issue. The Heartsine samaritan PAD 500P AED (Automated External Defibrillator) with integrated CPR Advisor meets the needs of two key links in the chain of survival. Not only can the SAM 500P deliver a lifesaving shock, it provides real-time visual and verbal feedback to the rescuer on the force and rate of CPR compressions during an SCA resuscitation – effectively assisting the rescuer to perform CPR. Defibrillator’s assess the status of a person’s heart and will not shock a normal heartbeat. |
| Training for using defibrillators | Anyone can use a defibrillator – it is just a matter of following the voice prompts provided by the unit. However, training is recommended to give the user greater confidence. Heart180 provide an online CPR & Defib course or can arrange face to face training. |
| Where they should be installed at a building | Defibrillators should be able to be accessed by a rescuer within 180 seconds of a person having a SCA anywhere in the building. This means locating devices as close as possible for quick access by all units – if not every floor, in ground floor/lobbies, recreation areas and possibly lifts. |
| Maintenance | Minimal maintenance required – will need to be serviced if discharged, however the devices have an 8-year warranted life span with a battery replacement at Year 4. |
| Liability | Specifically mandated that training is not required. No liability attached to misuse of devices. Held less liable than if administering first aid to someone, given verbal consent is required. Civil Liability Act 2002 No 22: https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/act/2002/22/part8 ANZCOR Guideline 7 – Automated External Defibrillation in Basic Life Support: https://secureservercdn.net/184.168.47.225/777.066.myftpupload.com/download/section_7/anzcor-guideline-7-aed-jan16.pdf |
If you have a SCA in Australia outside of hospital – the survival rate is around 6%.
If you have a SCA in Seattle (US) outside of hospital where defibrillator use is common – the survival rate is around 64%.
Parkrun Australia (Case Study)
Parkrun organise free, weekly, 5km timed runs around the world. They are open to everyone, free, and are safe and easy to take part in. Heart180 have supplied 225 defibrillators over an 18-month period to Parkrun Australia.
The first save at a Parkrun in Australia occurred 3 months after Heart180 began supplying defibrillators.
Please find more information at the following link on Brett Orpwood’s survival story: https://heart180.com.au/a-shocking-lifesaver-as-brett-enjoys-his-second-run-of-luck/
If you want to no more about defibs – get in touch with Paul Dineen.
Phone: 0447 772 300
paul@360healthcare.com.au