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An even earlier response time is required for cardiac arrest
Posted in Press Releases by Mat Packer.
A Hunter based company says more lives could be saved if public access defibrillators were available in clubs, gymnasiums and other places where large numbers of people gather.
Schiller Australia managing director Harry Packer made the comment following the death of a Port Stephens man who suffered a heart attack at a club on Saturday.
Mr Packer says the “fuss” about the ambulance response time is masking the real issue.
“If the ambulance arrived within 7 minutes, that is a reasonable response,” Mr Packer says.
“The issue is that it is the first few minutes that are the key to surviving a heart attack, before medical help arrives,” he says.
More than 30,000 Australians experience a cardiac arrest every year and about only 10 percent survive.
A public access defibrillator is a device that automatically delivers a precise electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal heart rhythm.
Mr Packer says that by doing CPR and defibrillation early tripled a person’s chance of surviving. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where there are defibrillators, the survival rate is 80 percent.
“An immediate response to a cardiac arrest can be the difference between life and death.”
Mr Packer says that today’s defibrillators are very portable, very simple to use, very effective and inexpensive. Yet many people remain unaware of the benefits of defibrillators and relatively few clubs, shopping centres and large organisations have access to one.
“People don’t even need to be medically qualified to operate a SCHILLER defibrillator.”
Schiller Australia, which has its headquarters in Cardiff, distributes a range of defibrillators including the FRED® easyport®. “Fred” is the smallest defibrillator in the world. It measures just 12 by 13 centimetres and weighs less than half a kilogram.
Mr Packer says SCHILLER defibrillators have unique Multipulse Biowave® technology that delivers effective defibrillation using around one third less energy. This gentler resuscitation method has been proven in clinical trials to minimise further damage to the heart, and increase survival rates.
How does a public access defibrillator work?
- Put the electrode pads on the person’s bare chest
- Turn on the machine
- The machine automatically analyses if the patient requires defibrillation (a shock) and at what level and timing
- It warns you to stand clear and delivers the shock.
What is the chain of survival?
It is the four principle procedures that should occur in a cardiac emergency:
- Early access ie call an ambulance
- Early CPR
- Early Defibrillation
- Early Advanced Life Support
Where are public access defibrillators used?
A number of organisations have public access defibrillators at their premises, providing enhanced safety and peace of mind for staff and customers. These include: QANTAS (which has defibrillators on board all its aircraft); the Shanghai Formula One Motor Grand Prix Emergency Medical Centre; and the Italian rail system which has more than 1000 defibrillators.
Public access defibrillators are suitable for service clubs, health services, large organisations, local communities that are some distance from medical and other places where people gather.
Who is SCHILLER?
SCHILLER Australia is part of the Swiss company, SCHILLER, founded by Alfred Schiller more than 30 years ago. Its national headquarters is in Lake Macquarie, NSW. SCHILLER is a leading manufacturer of medical equipment including defibrillators, electrocardiographs (ECG), monitors, spirometers, ergometers, and data management systems.
SCHILLER produces two public access defibrillators.
The FRED® easy
The FRED® easyport® is the smallest defibrillator in the world.
They retail for between $3,400 and $4,500, including training.
The unique offering of both SCHILLER defibrillators is the use of biphasic (Multipulse Biowave®) technology. Biphasic defibrillators deliver successful defibrillation using around one third of the energy of monophasic defibrillators. This gentler resuscitation method minimises further damage to the heart, and increases survival rates.
More information: People wanting to know more about defibrillators should contact SCHILLER Australia on 02 4954 2442 or visit www.schiller.com.au.
A FRED® easyport® can save lives
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