Published on 1st February 2018
Can you imagine finding somebody in need of a defibrillator, not knowing where the nearest one is and watching them pass away?
AEDs have dramatically evolved over the past few years and have become incredibly easy and simple to use – even an untrained civilian can use one. The movement towards easy to use defibrillators has pushed forward the need for them to be available in all public facilities.
An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable device, used in the event of a Sudden Cardiac Arrest. If required, the AED will send electric shocks to the heart in order to restore a normal rhythm. Thankfully, AEDs are becoming more readily available to the public in the UK and can now be found up and down the country in a whole host of public places, from leisure centres, schools, libraries, medical services, town halls and more.
The majority of people still don’t know where their nearest defibrillator is. This fact is concerning because it likely plays a role in the low rate of bystander intervention in cases of sudden cardiac arrest, which currently stands at only 2% before the arrival of the ambulance service.
Every minute counts when someone has a Sudden Cardiac Arrest. A heart needs to be restarted within 4 minutes otherwise the chance of survival is drastically lowered by 80%. Even in ideal conditions, can you guarantee that an ambulance could reach you within the first 4 minutes?
Regrettably, people lack the skills, ability, and confidence to help a victim. The number of cases when an AED is used on a victim is exceedingly low, as little as 0.15% of Sudden Cardiac Arrests that occur outside of hospitals. But there are a few simple steps that anybody witnessing a Sudden Cardiac Arrest can take to help save a life. The individual should call 999, perform CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) if one is available.
Although the movement towards more defibrillators in public places is firmly on track, the UK is still behind a whole host of nations. Isn’t it time everybody was protected against Sudden Cardiac Arrest in the same way? Isn’t it time everybody was protected against Sudden Cardiac Arrest in the same way?
When considering which defibrillator to buy – it can be a tough decision. You need to know what type of defibrillator would be the most effective in your area.
From community defibrillator packages to school and industry bundles, at Martek, we have an extensive range of defibrillators suitable for every environment. All our defibrillators are incredibly easy to use, easily identifiable and safe. Multiple independent tests gave our range 100/100 in terms of safety, usability and practicality – making them the industry-leading defibrillator.
Knowing where your local defibrillator is the difference between life and death. Find out where your nearest defibrillator is, how to access it and ensure it works.