Product category:
Personal protective equipment (PPE), devices
News Release from: Laerdal Medical | Subject: Heartstart FR2 Defibrillator
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 May 2005
Defibrillator training saves life in
health centre
Vital Heartstart training helps to save life in health centre.
By administering prompt defibrillation with a Laerdal Heartstart Defibrillator, the swift actions of staff at a health centre in Houghton, Sunderland, have helped to save the life of an elderly man In January this year, John Hodgson, 74, felt unwell and was driven to the Hetton Health Centre by a quick-thinking neighbour, Elizabeth Unwin
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 15 Feb 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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While at the centre's reception desk John collapsed with a sudden and serious heart attack.
Immediately, local GP Dr Martin Baldasera, helped by practice nurse Anne Turnbull and treatment room nurse Helen Ellis, started emergency resuscitation.
While staff dialled 999, quick thinking receptionist Melanie McDaid fetched the centre's Heartstart FR2 Defibrillator.
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In response to the current demand for HeartStart defibrillators, at the Safety and Health Expo 06, Laerdal will be exhibiting defibrillators to suit every first aid and professional need.
Within minutes, Melanie had applied the defibrillator pads to John's chest and was successful in regaining a stable heart beat after following the defibrillator's voice prompts.
Once the ambulance arrived a few minutes later, John was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital for further treatment.
John, now fully recovered, has been back to the health centre to pass on his appreciation to the staff involved.
He said: "I have been very lucky".
"There is no doubt that the fast actions of my neighbour Elizabeth, Dr Baldasera and his colleagues saved my life and words cannot express my gratitude to them".
"Everything happened very quickly and unfortunately I can't remember much of what happened to me that day".
"However, what is clear that, although the care I received in hospital was superb, the specialists have told me how the immediate intervention was crucial to my survival".
"If it wasn't for the actions of the health centre staff I wouldn't be alive today." The Heartstart FR2 defibrillator used in the incident had only been installed in the centre one month earlier and for receptionist Melanie it was the chance to put her life saving skills training received only a matter of weeks previously into action.
The installation of the life saving machine in public places and basic life saving training is organised across the city by Heartstart Sunderland Lifesavers, part of Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust.
Peter Lowes, Heartstart Training Co-ordinator, said: "This incident shows how a medical emergency can happen at any time and that fast response by trained staff is vital for the best chance of survival of the person at risk".
"The availability of defibrillation equipment in health centres and other public venues is vital and can invariably make the difference between life and death situations".
"Early defibrillation combined with early cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a cardiac arrest situation can increase a victims chances survival by up to 80%".
John, who retired from his job as a foreman with a local building company has now returned home from hospital and says he now feels fine.
His daughter, Sheena Hodgson, has written to the medical practice thanking them for their actions.
She said: "The team was absolutely exemplary in their determination and skills in reviving my father and our deepest thanks and immense gratitude goes out to them all".
"The NHS is often criticised, but in this case the commitment and training of the staff to take on the major responsibility of using this equipment is beyond praise " Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) remains the leading cause of death in men over 45 and women over 65 in Great Britain and Ireland.
Over 270,000 people in the UK suffer a heart attack each year - that's one heart attack every two minutes.
30% of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before they even reach hospital.
Although Laerdal's HeartStart 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.
Recent reports on community schemes and successful "save" stories confirm that the Laerdal HeartStart Defibrillators are the preferred defibrillator of many organisations in the UK.
Independent scientific user trials show that the Laerdal HeartStart Defibrillator is the most simple to operate AED (automatic external defibrillator) on the market.
Tony Kemp, product development manager at Laerdal Medical , comments, ""An increasing amount of people in the workplace are learning life saving skills, so that in an emergency, even without the presence of a doctor or nurse, treatment such as prompt defibrillation can still be administered.
Defibrillators like the HeartStart FR2 and First Aid Defibrillator are being installed in more and more public places as they are safe, reliable and very user friendly.
We are receiving growing reports from all over the UK about trained first aiders in workplaces, health centres, shopping centres and recreation centres using these machines to save lives.
This is very encouraging for the survival-to-hospital statistics of sudden cardiac arrest victims."".
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