Town's bid to help charity to lifesaving goal

By Wednesday 25 September 2013 Updated: 25/09 18:59

Sean Lawson, Rugby Borough Council’s head of environmental services, and resources spokeswoman Coun Sally Bragg, with the Public Access Defibrillator at the Town Hall.

LIFE-SAVING equipment has been installed at the Town Hall and Rugby Visitor Centre.

The borough council has joined forces with the Arrhythmia Alliance charity to have Public Access Defibrillators (PADs) at the two locations.

The defibrillators can be the difference between life and death when someone suffers a cardiac arrest - the sudden stopping of the heart.

They administer a small electric shock to the victim's chest via two pads, restoring a natural heart rhythm.

They require no formal training to use because after attaching the pads to the patient's chest, a computer analyses the heart rhythm before deciding whether the patient needs an electric shock.

It then issues a voice prompt instructing when to deliver the shock and the pads automatically deliver it.

Studies have revealed cardiac arrest victims treated with traditional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) have just a five per cent chance of survival, but when treated with a defibrillator and CPR it rises to 50 per cent.

Coun Sally Bragg said: "Every minute counts when treating someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest.

"Defibrillators likes the ones situated at the front of the Town Hall and the side of the Visitor Centre substantially increase a patient's chances of survival. They can be used by the public in the case of an emergency."

Arrhythmia Alliance is leading the drive for a network of defibrillators around the country as part of its Hearts and Goals campaign which is spearheaded by former football Fabrice Muamba who suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Bolton last year.

The charity's founder and chief executive Trudie Lobban MBE said: “We are delighted to work with Rugby Borough Council to make the town a safer place.

“With more public-access defibrillators we could save many lives and it is great to see the council take a lead on this and we would invite others to contact us and help protect their community.”

FACTFILE

- Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a heart rhythm disorder that results in 100,000 deaths in the UK each year, killing more people than lung cancer, breast cancer and Aids combined.

- When CPR is administered to someone who has suffered an SCA, they have just a 5 per cent chance of survival.

- When CPR and an AED (a defibrillator) are used together, the average chance of survival goes up to 50 per cent, a ten-fold increase over CPR alone.

- If used in the first four minutes after SCA, defibrillators can give victims an 80 per cent chance of survival - a massive 16-fold increase compared to CPR alone. However, the survival rate drops by 14 per cent for every additional minute.

- AEDs are defibrillators that any member of the public can use without training to resuscitate someone who has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.

- AEDs come equipped with an internal computer and automated voice, which guides users through every step. They monitor heart activity once pads are fitted to the patient and instruct the user accordingly based on the readings they take. AEDs also internally self-test, provide a clear indication with a green or red light whether there is any fault and hosts are fully trained on the daily checking procedures.

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