TM
Mob: 0414 560 364
Tel: 1300 DEFIBFIRST
Email:[email protected]
Web:www.defibfirst.com.au
Busting the Myths & Fears associated with Defibrillators
Anyone
can apply a
defibrillator
Don’t know how?
It’s simple!
We’ll show you!!
The only effective First Aid treatment for Sudden Cardiac Arrest is rapid defibrillation but
there are too few Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in the community & workplace and
too few people who have the knowledge & confidence to apply one without fear or hesitation.
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MYTH:
Sudden Cardiac arrest is a heart
attack. There is nothing bystanders
can do because only doctors can
treat a heart attack.
MYTH:
TRUTH:
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is not a heart attack. A heart attack is a
blockage in an artery supplying blood to the heart muscle, i.e.
a plumbing abnormality, and is only one of the many causes of
cardiac arrest. A cardiac arrest is an abnormality of the electrical
system that stimulates the heart to beat and causes instant death.
It is possible to survive a heart attack but it is not possible to
survive a Cardiac Arrest without defibrillation. Cardiac Arrest is the
one cause of death that depends on a bystander rapidly applying
an Automated External Defibrillator to restore life.
TRUTH:
A rescuer who performs First Aid
and applies a defibrillator can be
held liable and sued if the outcome
of a Cardiac Arrest is not successful
i.e. if the victim does not survive.
The law (Good Samaritans Act) protects those who render First Aid
in good faith. First Aid responders have never been and cannot
be held liable or sued for attempting to resuscitate a victim of
sudden cardiac arrest with a defibrillator. Liability? Someone who
is in cardiac arrest is deceased and any attempt at resuscitation is
better than no attempt.
MYTH:
TRUTH:
An Automated External Defibrillator
(AED) can shock someone who
doesn’t need to be shocked.
An AED is programmed to analyse the electrical activity of the
victim’s heart. An AED must first be applied directly to the victim’s
bare chest and then detect a lethal heart rhythm before it will deliver
a shock. An AED is safe and cannot be used inappropriately nor
can it shock the wrong person. It will not shock someone who does
not need to be defibrillated i.e. it will not deliver a shock if it detects
a normal heart rhythm.
Book a 1 hour Training Session for
your club, workplace or home
1300 DEFIBFIRST
or
[email protected]
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MYTH:
Mob:
Tel: Email:
Web:
0414 560 364
1300 DEFIBFIRST
[email protected]
www.defibfirst.com.au
TRUTH:
An Automated External Defibrillator
(AED) can cause harm or injury to
the victim.
Someone who is in cardiac arrest is dead therefore it is not possible
to injure them any further. An AED will do no harm because it will
not work unless it has detected a lethal heart rhythm that requires
a lifesaving shock. More harm is done to the victim by not applying
an AED because someone in cardiac arrest is dead and without
early defibrillation, they have almost no chance of survival.
MYTH:
TRUTH:
MYTH:
TRUTH:
MYTH:
TRUTH:
An AED is not necessary because
rescuers only need to phone 000
and an ambulance will arrive with
a defibrillator OR there will be
enough time to get the casualty to
a nearby hospital.
Only
medical
professionals,
paramedics or First Aid trained
persons can use an AED
An Automated External Defibrillator
(AED) in the workplace increases
liability risks for the employer
and gives the impression that the
workplace is stressful and unsafe
for employees, if an AED is needed
to be on standby.
Any delay in applying a defibrillator dramatically reduces the
victim’s likelihood of survival, with the first five minutes being the
most critical. Average ambulance response times are usually > 10
mins. There is also no time to get a cardiac arrest victim to hospital,
regardless of how close the hospital is. Ambulance Victoria 2014
statistics reveal that Cardiac Arrest victims who are defibrillated by
witnesses have treble the long term survival rate of those who are
not defibrillated until paramedics/medical aid arrive.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the one cause of death that bystanders
can actually reverse if they apply an AED quickly. Anyone
regardless of their level of training can safely and effectively apply
an AED to someone who is in cardiac arrest. The key to survival is
immediate CPR and, most importantly, early defibrillation. An AED
is automatic and will only work if necessary, after detecting a lethal
heart rhythm. All that is required is for a rescuer to apply the pads
and let the AED do the rest.
Fire Extinguishers are mandatory insurance against risk of fire but
do not imply that a workplace is unsafe. Cardiac arrest is not a
heart attack; can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime; and is 200
times more likely than fire to cause death.
It is compulsory that workplace First Aid officers be competent in
the use of an AED which is the most vital component of emergency
first aid equipment. The AED enables First Aid personnel to
perform the lifesaving skills for which they have been trained and
minimises the risk of an unsuccessful outcome i.e. death. An AED
in the workplace therefore increases safety and peace of mind
and decreases risk & liability by providing insurance against an
adverse event.
Ordinary People can take Extraordinary Action to Save the Life
of someone suffering a Sudden Cardiac Arrest by applying an
Automated External Defibrillator (AED)