Product category:
Personal protective equipment (PPE), devices
News Release from: Laerdal Medical | Subject: Heartstart first aid defibrillator
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 22 July 2004
Rugby League plays safe with
defibrillator
HeartStart Defibrillator accompanies England Rugby League.
The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the governing body for the game of Rugby League in the UK With the hindsight of three fatal sudden cardiac arrests amongst its players in the last eight years, the RFL is taking no chances with the health and safety of its England Academy during its international tours this year
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 28 Apr 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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Laerdal exhibits new defibrillator at Ambex.
At this year's Ambex, Laerdal Medical will be exhibiting the new Heartstart First Aid Defibrillator on Stand no. A14.
First aid defibrillator raises chance of survival
Laerdal has developed a First Aid Defibrillator "Heartstart" that, with minimal training, can be used on cardiac arrest victims by members of the public, before the arrival of a paramedic.
The organisation has added a life-saving Laerdal HeartStart First Aid Defibrillator to the medical kit that will accompany the team to training sessions and matches in the Southern Hemisphere, and later in the year, to the Tri Nations Test Series and European Cup events.
Dr Lisa Hodgson Phillips, PhD MSc MCSP SRP, the RFL's Head of Sports Medicine explains, "Rugby League is a tough, exciting, physical game".
"Most of the players are fit, healthy, young men who people wouldn't normally expect to be at risk from Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD)".
Further reading
Early defibrillation saves lives!
The chances of survival for an (SCA) victim are increased by 50 per cent if defibrillation is administered within two to three minutes of collapse.
More lives saved with early defibrillation
Early defibrillation saves a life in shopping centre.
Defibrillators arrive at Arriva London
Caring public transport company Arriva London has taken delivery of 16 new HeartStart First Aid Defibrillators from Laerdal Medical.
"However, of the tragedies we have had through SCD, one victim was only 15 years old, one happened during training and the other happened at home after training".
"Early defibrillation is the only way to substantially improve the chances of survival from Sudden Cardiac Arrest, so it is imperative that this primary treatment is immediately on hand".
Since joining the organisation in 2000, Dr Phillips has also initiated the practice of annual screening for cardiopulmonary defects for all its under 16s and international players.
In some cases, a simple cardiac defect that can be cured by surgery can be the cause of SCD during or after strenuous exercise.
Dr Phillips concludes, "The Rugby Football League is serious about its responsibility for the health and safety of its members".
"We are hoping that a defibrillator will become a mandatory part of the standard medical kit for all clubs and grounds in the near future".
In around 85 per cent of cardiac arrests, the heart simply loses its rhythm and goes into ventricular fibrillation (VF).
In this condition, a defibrillator can safely shock the heart back into a regular beating pattern.
If administered within 2-3 minutes of collapse, the chances of the victim's survival are increased by up to 50 per cent.
The defibrillator must be used within the first 4 - 5 minutes - the sooner the better as the rate of successful recovery decreases by an alarming 10% per minute.
In the absence of a defibrillator, CPR alone is not enough.
Without early defibrillation, the patient will almost certainly die.
Although Laerdal's HeartStart First Aid Defibrillator is a technically advanced piece of equipment, it is small, robust and surprising easy to use.
Automated voice commands and comprehensive diagrams take the operator through each step of the way.
Use of a defibrillator and CPR training is taught to all the RFL's medical staff within just half a day, as part of an "Immediate Medical Management on the Field of Play for Rugby League" Course.
Independent scientific user trials show that the Laerdal HeartStart First Aid Defibrillator is the most simple to operate AED (automatic external defibrillator) on the market.
Recent reports on community schemes and successful 'save' stories confirm that the Laerdal HeartStart First Aid Defibrillator is the preferred defibrillator of many organisations in the UK.
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