Defibrillator
Defibrillator Location
Our Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is located in the third entrance lobby of Bishops Court as shown by the red arrow on the picture adjacent. It has been placed here as one of the most central locations on the estate
User Friendly
Anyone can use an AED and you don't need training to do so.
The AED’s have a voice instruction that talks you through what is required to use the AED. There is a video at the end of this page that explains the operation. Take a few minuites to watch, you never know when you may need to use the AED in a hurry...
Why we have a Defibrillator ?
We live in a development of 56 units most occupied by more than one adult. We also have adults regularly attending the development for deliveries, maintenance, visits, etc...
Although we are in the main a healthy group of individuals there is a risk and now with the assistance of AED a risk that can be significantly reduced at not significant expense.
1. Onsite AEDs save precious treatment time and can improve survival odds because they can be used
before emergency medical service (EMS) personnel arrive.
2. A heart rhythm in ventricular fibrillation may only be restored to normal by an electric shock.
3. Modern AEDs won't allow you to shock a victim that has a heartbeat, reducing the risk of doing more
harm and reasons for people not to step in and help.
4. Of the sudden cardiac arrest deaths that occur each year, more than 95 percent of the victims die
before they reach the hospital.
5. When care is provided within five to seven minutes, including early treatment with an AED, survival
rates can improve dramatically.
6. Using a defibrillator on an individual in cardiac arrest increases his survival rate by 60 percent
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA)
A cardiac arrest usually happens without warning. If someone is in cardiac arrest, they collapse suddenly and:
• will be unconscious
• will be unresponsive and
• won't be breathing or breathing normally - not breathing normally may mean they’re making gasping noises.
Without immediate treatment or medical attention, the person will die. If you see someone having a cardiac
arrest, phone 999 immediately and start CPR.
In the UK…the survival rate is low – just 1 in 10 people in the UK survive an OHCA…early CPR and defibrillation can double the chances of surviving an OHCA..”1
A summary of incidents in the UK is provided by Resuscitation Council UK
• NHS Ambulance Services attempt resuscitation in approximately 30,000 people each year.
• The annual incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is approximately 55 per 100,000 inhabitants.
“What are the signs of a cardiac arrest”
• Most cardiac arrests (72%) occur in the home or a workplace (15%).
• Half of all OHCA are witnessed by a bystander.
• Most cardiac arrests occur in adults (98%), amongst whom one third (33%) were aged 15-64 years.
• 8 out of 10 OHCA are due to a cardiac cause.
• Bystander CPR is attempted in 7 out of 10 OHCA.
• Public access defibrillator use is reported as being used in less than 1 in 10 OHCA.
• The average ambulance response time is 6.9 minutes.
The initial rhythm is shockable in approximately 1 in 4 OHCA (22-25%).
Below is a video that explains the operation of the AED