defibrillator Archives – Safelincs Blog

Friday 7th July 2023

Public defibrillators save lives; research has consistently highlighted the need for more public access defibrillators. UK ambulance services attempt resuscitation of more than 30,000 cardiac arrest victims each year outside of hospital. In 90% of cases, this will be fatal; survival chances for victims decrease by 10% for every minute without a defibrillator (AED) being used on them.

In contrast, fewer than 350 people are killed by fire-related deaths each year, owing to fire safety legislation in the UK. More than 25,000 people die from cardiac arrests outside of hospital annually. If a defibrillator is used within one minute, survival rates are as high as 90%. Moreover, defibrillators should be as accessible as fire extinguishers.

Public Access Defibrillators are Supplied with Clear Instructions to Help Save Lives

Public defibrillators in the UK

Despite several campaigns to increase their numbers, there is no legislation in place to make defibrillators available beyond hospital settings. There is no legal need to install these life saving devices, and poor understanding of how to use them. Together, this is contributing to a high number of unnecessary deaths from cardiac arrest occurring outside hospitals.

Research carried out in 2014 by the University of Southampton and South Central Ambulance Service highlighted the significance of this issue. It set out to discover how available external defibrillators are, given the push for their deployment in public places.

At this time, 673 known PADs (public access defibrillators) were located in 278 Hampshire locations. Out of 1,035 emergency calls which occurred in one year, the caller could access a defibrillator in only 44 cases. The caller was actually able to use the defibrillator in only 18 cases.

How do defibrillators work?

AED’s work by giving an electric shock to the heart to restore its rhythm.

When the sticky pads of the defibrillator are correctly applied to the bare skin of the patient, the device can measure the heart rate. It can then determine whether a shock is required – if a shock is required, it will be delivered either automatically (by an automatic AED), or upon the press of a button (by a semi-automatic AED).

Public Defibrillators are increasingly common, even in rural villages

Fully automated defibrillators are ideal for public use, as they make administration of care as easy as possible. The units not only offer spoken and visual indicators about each step, they also automatically analyse the heart rhythm. The devices will automatically select the correct level of shock for the person who has suffered a cardiac arrest.

Defibrillator Training

Anyone can use an AED, owing to the simple instructions that they are supplied with. However, many individuals lack the confidence to do so. People may worry that they will cause harm to the patient, with moral or legal consequences, or may not be comfortable performing CPR.

The Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015 protects those ‘Good Samaritans’ who have attempted to rescue a victim of cardiac arrest (or similar). If nothing is done to assist a victim of cardiac arrest, they will die; if something is done, they may live. Defibrillators will not administer a shock if one is not required, making it almost impossible to cause harm. The law has never been cited in court as no one has ever been sued for trying to deliver CPR, and it is unlikely that this would occur.

Defibrillator Training equips people with the skills and confidence to save a life, but is not essential for use of an AED

It is strongly recommended that organisations who have installed defibrillators provide AED and CPR training for staff. Training equips staff with the skills and confidence to attempt rescue, should the need arise. This training could save the lives of your staff, visitors to your site, or the general public.

Funding for defibrillators

At the end of 2022, the government announced that a £1 million fund will be made available to increase the number of community defibrillators. This will equate to roughly 1000 new AEDs made available to the public. Further to this, a defibrillator will be provided to every state-funded school in England by the end of 2023.

The Circuit: Public Defibrillators Save Lives

Public Access Defibrillators – The Circuit

The Circuit, or National Defibrillator Network provides NHS ambulance services and the general public with information about all of the public access defibrillators in the UK. In the case of a cardiac arrest, the ambulance services can direct bystanders to the closest device. This enables members of the public to deliver essential care while awaiting the arrival of paramedics. This initiative has so far made more than 46,000 publicly available; roughly half of all AEDs in the UK. This initiative is saving lives by improving access to these devices – for more information, go to https://www.thecircuit.uk/.

Are public defibrillators locked?

To prevent theft, vandalism, and misuse, many public defibrillators are locked. Ambulance services should be able to provide bystanders of a cardiac arrest with access details for the nearest public AED.

Wednesday 7th July 2021

With only a small percentage of sports clubs and gyms having a defibrillator on site, is it an important addition to your sports facility’s first aid provision? We look at the risk posed by cardiac arrest and the life saving potential of defibrillators at sports clubs, gyms or sports centres.

Cardiac arrest at the gym — Having a defibrillator at your local gym could save a life

Why are defibrillators important for sporting clubs or gyms?

Let’s look at the facts:

Research shows that over 90% of sudden cardiac arrests in young athletes happen either during or immediately after exercise.
The average age of people suffering from a cardiac arrest is between 35 and 44. But, some younger sportspeople may have an undiagnosed heart condition.
Apart from injuries that are directly related to the sport being played, cardiac arrest is the most common cause of death in young sports people.

Having an AED close at hand can make all the difference. Research shows that using an AED within 3 to 5 minutes of a cardiac arrest can mean survival rates are as high as 50-70%. Many lives have been saved during sporting activities by having an AED present at the time of cardiac arrest. Parkrun’s collection of stories from cardiac arrest victims highlights the importance of having an AED close by.

Young athlete cardiac arrest — Undiagnosed heart conditions can lead to cardiac arrest in young athletes

Is it a legal requirement for sports clubs or sports centres to have a defibrillator?

Whilst it is not currently a legal requirement in the UK for sports facilities to provide an AED, it is a valuable addition to the wellbeing and protection of sports players, club members and the local community.

Choosing a defibrillator for sports clubs and gyms

Anyone can use an automatic defibrillator – no training is required. They automatically deliver the shock to the heart. It is not possible to make matters worse if they are not used correctly.

Some defibrillators like the Heartsine 360P give better protection from water which may be a consideration if they are likely to be used outside. Look out for the AEDs IP rating which shows the level of protection from dust and water.

Heartsine 360P defibrillator for sports clubs and events — Heatsine 360P Fully Automatic Defibrillator with protective carry case

Consider the location for your AED. It should be easy to find in an emergency so it can be accessed as quickly as possible. The location will also determine whether you need to purchase an external defibrillator cabinet or an internal defibrillator cabinet. If you are locating the AED outside or somewhere like a football clubhouse where the temperature may drop below 8⁰C, then an external storage cabinet is required. These cabinets have integral heating to ensure the defibrillator stays at the optimum temperature. Because of the heating element, outdoor cabinets need to be installed by an electrician. Internal cabinets are simpler to install, just requiring screwing or bolting into the wall.

For events like Parkrun, marathons or large tournaments, an AED with a portable protective carry case is likely to be a good option. Many defibrillators come with carry cases, but they can also be purchased separately.

Maintaining your defibrillator

Community clubs, sports centres and gyms may be concerned about providing a defibrillator because of the maintenance requirements. Defibrillators self-test on a regular basis. They will flag up any issues, so maintenance of a defibrillator is not as daunting as it may first appear. One of the main things to look out for is expiry dates for pads and batteries.

Set up a regular visual inspection procedure and designate member(s) to carry it out. Use our free defibrillator maintenance checklist to monitor and record inspections.

Any AED will require replacement pads and batteries as these have an expiry date which varies depending on the manufacturer. Some AEDS such as Zoll AED 3 have a 5 year pad and battery life plus if you purchase a defibrillator from Safelincs, you can receive free replacement pads.

For complete peace of mind or if there is no one to carry out a visual inspection at your sports facility, we can organise a defibrillator inspection from one of our trained engineers as often as you like.

Defibrillator cost vs benefit

Although the initial outlay for a defibrillator can seem like a lot for a community organisation or sports facility, the potential for being able to offer life-saving treatment makes it a worthy investment. Defibrillators have relatively low maintenance costs and no requirement for training (for a fully automatic defibrillator). So, after the initial installation, AEDs can provide a service to the members and community without having high-cost implications. An important and worthwhile investment!

Tag: defibrillator

Do Public Defibrillators Save Lives?